To celebrate the restoration of Pershing Avenue Park and the conclusion of another growing season at the Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm and Community Garden, the City of Poughkeepsie, New City Parks and Scenic Hudson are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 3-6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28
Speakers will include City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison, New City Parks Executive Director Rose Harvey and Executive Director of The Scenic Hudson Land Trust Seth McKee. Joining them will be Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Program Manager Johnny Richardson, who will be “turning on” the newly installed solar lights, whose funding was provided by the GME Sun Club.
Pershing Avenue Park is in the 7th ward of the City of Poughkeepsie and is home to an active summer basketball league.
In 2020 the city hired New City Parks to work with community partners in the 7th ward to restore the recreational facilities in the park and to add a walking trail, benches and solar lights and a meadow north of the basketball courts.
Visitors to the park can now enjoy newly installed playground equipment, resurfaced basketball courts, new hoops and backboards, many new trees and native shrubs for shade and cooling, new benches, new walking paths, benches and tables.
The City and Scenic Hudson opened The Pershing Avenue Community Garden and Neighborhood Farm in 2021, as the first phase of revitalization of Pershing Park, in response to needs voiced by residents to support and build healthy lifestyles for children and families and provide quality education programs for people of all ages. Residents have been growing produce in the community garden, and an educational farm supplies fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhood families and local bodegas and restaurants. The farm also provides opportunities for Poughkeepsie youth that teach life and work skills through hands-on experiences in farming and gardening, health and nutrition, construction and entrepreneurship and leadership.
Along with New City Parks, Scenic Hudson and the City, partners include many Northside residents, the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Nubian Directions II and its YouthBuild AmeriCorps Program, Ecological Citizens Project, Glynwood, and the PARKnership, a group of community leaders, municipal representatives and local organizations created to focus on how to improve access to open space in the Northside of Poughkeepsie. PARKnership partners include local neighbors, St. Marks AME Zion Church, Dutchess Outreach, the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, the Art Effect, New City Parks, Poughkeepsie Alliance and Ecological Citizens Project.