City announces plans for Douglass Park Centennial Celebration

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- Lexington is getting ready to celebrate Douglass Park’s 100th birthday. And it wants the community to help mark the centennial.

They city says it’s teaming up with Lexington Habitat for Humanity to plant 100 trees throughout the park on Georgetown Street. The beautification event will be held 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Oct. 23 and 24. It says it is also creating the Douglass Park Centennial Commission. It will include 25 people representing neighborhoods, businesses, schools and churches.  The city says the group will be organized by First District Councilmember James Brown.

Mayor Jim Gray says, “Douglass Park is a special place, a place where tens of thousands of residents have grown up playing and running and enjoying each other’s company…We know the history of Douglass Park also includes some troubling chapters, and in those times, we work together, as a community, to ensure Douglass Park can continue to serve neighbors, now and in the future.”

The park was named for civil rights leader Frederick Douglass. The city says it opened in 1916 as the first African-American park in Central Kentucky. It says during segregation, Douglass Park was one of the few places African-American residents could go for recreation and entertainment.

Habitat for Humanity says volunteers are needed for Douglass Days park cleanup and tree planting. Anyone interested in helping out should register by sending an email to volunteer@lexhabitat.org. You can also call 859-252-2224 to sign up.

The city says Parks & Recreation is asking for community feedback on future upgrades to the playground and general park area. It says a conceptual plan for a new playground will be on display during the Douglass Days event.