Congress Square will be lit up and ready for fun this winter!
by Bree LaCasse
Lights in Congress Square (Nov 2015).
Congress Square Park is once again aglow in its winter light installation by artist Pandora LaCasse. Each year, the winter light installations illuminate our cherished downtown public spaces, linked by colorful forms adorning street lights and buildings. The sculptural light installations invite you to get outside in the dark winter months, to stroll through the city and to see your neighbors.
Take a Winter Light Stroll
Looking for the perfect route? We recommend you start at Longfellow Square and then walk down Congress Street, past Congress Square Park and the Portland Museum Art, Maine College of Art and the Time & Temp building to Tommy’s Park, then down to Boothby Square and finally back along Commercial Street. Don’t forget to stroll through Deering Oaks too. These whimsical lights of teal, pink, gold, green, blue, purple and red give Portland its unique character each winter. It is one of our city’s most enduring and cherished creative placemaking efforts – delighting residents and visitors alike.
Lights in Longfellow Square (Feb 2015)
Winter Activities at Congress Square
The Friends of Congress Square Park (FoCSP) is pleased to partner with Portland Downtown and Pandora LaCasse to bring a sculptural light installation to Congress Square Park. The lights help to activate the park during the cold winter months when our furniture is tucked away and our event season has come to an end. We hope the lights draw you into the park to enjoy their warm glow and the dramatic shape of the trees.
We also hope this winter brings us snow! If it does, we invite you to come play in the park. We will pack snow into square blocks ready for the community to carve – an ongoing community curated snow sculpture garden.
Join the Planning Process
We will also be busy over the winter planning for our fourth “In the Square” event season. FoCSP is looking to sponsor a wide variety of events and activities in 2017. We encourage anyone with ideas to submit a proposal to our open call during the month of January. The submission form will be available on our website at CongressSquarePark.org. A committee will review the submissions and select the 2017 line-up. Send us your ideas to help activate the park!
Also coming up in December… Please join the design team, WRT and artist Sarah Sze, on Thursday, December 15th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Westin Hotel’s Longfellow Room for the next public meeting of the CS Redesign and Public Art Commission. The designs are coming along nicely and we are excited to get your feedback at this important stage in the design process. Come make your mark on the future of Congress Square.
Thank You!
Congress Square Park
Finally, we’d like to take a moment to say just how grateful we are for our wonderful community. To our amazing park steward volunteers, to our talented artists and performers, to our generous Board of Directors, funders, donors and corporate sponsors, and to all our park visitors … we are thankful for you. You have helped transform the park into a welcoming and vibrant place for our community to gather.
Happy Holidays from your Friends of Congress Square Park!
Friends of Congress Square Park
Bree LaCasse is a board member of Friends of Congress Square Park. Visit congresssquarepark.org for more info.
