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How A Conservancy Shined Up A Jewel Of A Park

DENVER (CBS4) - Right at the crossroads of Denver's government, culture and commerce sits Civic Center Park. The Civic Center Conservancy is celebrating 10 years of revitalizing the park and reclaiming it as a jewel in the Denver park system.

"Ultimately what we are trying to do as the Conservancy," explained Eric Lazzari, the organization's Director of Programs and Events, "we're giving people more reasons to come to Civic Center Park."

Those reasons include programs like Civic Center Eats, Civic Center Moves and Independence Eve, the concert and fireworks show celebrating the Fourth of July.

The Conservancy organizes events in the park 100 days each year. Other festivals also fill the park for weekends including Cinco de Mayo, the People's Fair and Taste of Colorado.

In 2012, the park was named a national historic landmark.

"We're the only national historic landmark in the City of Denver proper, so that is a big feather in our cap," Lazzari said. "It's been a big recognition of the importance of this park in the city of Denver."

"This park has been a part of our community for over 100 years," he went on. "For a long time it was a kind of an afterthought, but what we're really trying to do in the community is make it an asset for people who live in Denver, people who visit Denver, people who just want to experience what the best of Denver is all about."

Kathleen MacKenzie is one of those people who lives in Denver. She's a resident of the Golden Triangle neighborhood which means Civic Center is her neighborhood park. She sometimes exercises with the Civic Center Moves program but she also walks through the park on her way downtown.

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Civic Center Moves in Civic Center Park (credit: CBS)

"I often walk this lovely promenade between the Greek Theater and the fountain," she said. "I'm just glad that somebody had the foresight to have this kind of public space in Denver."

Lazzari agrees. He enjoys the peace of the park as well.

"I think it's fun to be in the park when nothing else is going on. You get to view the art and learn about the history. At the corners of the park it tells about the history of the park a little bit.

"You can see the public art that has been here for years, but you really get to experience the solitude that exists when some of the activity is not going on."

But when pressed Lazzari admitted to a soft spot for Civic Center Eats because of the diversity of the food trucks and the ability to eat something different every day.

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Civic Center Eats in Civic Center Park (credit: CBS)

When all the trucks are in the park, they prove to be eye-catching for visitors.

A man from Columbus, Ohio was visiting the state Capitol when the trucks caught his eye and he had to check it out.

"It's very cool," he said. "I just love all the varieties of the food, all the different colors, it's just beautiful."

The Civic Center Conservancy is determined to make sure the park's beauty shines in all its facets.

"We're going to continue to invest time, resources into the park to make it better for everybody who wants to come down here," said Lazzari.

"We'll always look into expanded diversity, other types of programs, more cultural activation. We'd love to see the Greek Theater be used as the true cultural assessment as it was used when it was first founded -- that it was a place for community concerts, for community plays.

"Really this is a place about forming memories."

LINKS: Civic Center ConservancyIndependence Eve Section

Raetta Holdman is a veteran newscast producer. She's been with CBS4 for more than 25 years, coordinating events -- large and small -- from the control room. Contact her by clicking here.

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