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September 17, 2015
Habits

PARK(ing) Day back on the street

To the ire of all those running late and looking for a car park and the delight of the rest of us, PARK(ing) Day returns to transform Adelaide's streets this Friday.

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  • Words: Sharmonie Cockayne
  • Pictures: Joshua Fanning

Though 2015 marks the 10th year of PARK(ing) Day internationally, this Friday will only be Adelaide’s fifth year of involvement.

Remarks

PARK(ing) Day will be happening around the city this Friday, September 18.

As a whole, the event is dedicated to the temporary transformation of CBD parking spaces into public spaces, but for Adelaide – even though we were late to the PARK(ing) Day party –  it means quite a bit more than that.

Cecelia Tang, Volunteer Adelaide PARK(ing) Day Committee Member, says that it is community events like PARK(ing) Day that have helped transform Adelaide from the “ghost town” that it once was to the now vibrant city that “celebrates a diversity of arts and culture”.

She says that it’s events like this, where businesses collaborate to create something different and artistic, that allow people to “share their aspirations for the city”, and “foster innovative ideas about improving our urban landscape”.

Though we can expect to see parking spaces looking a little different all across Morphett Street, King William Street, Rundle Street, Pulteney Street and East Terrace, one street that promises to be particularly exciting this Friday is Hindley.

Adelaide’s Red Light District is set to deliver a lively contribution from a group of young, creative West End retailers that embody the area’s reinvention.

The newly established Parsec Café will be collaborating with RHD, SWOP, Twenty Fifty Two, Phase Space, Ancient World and a sizeable bunch of artists and musicians from Format Collective.

The Parsec parking space – to be located right out front of the café – will host an array of live musicians throughout the day, some racks from fashion retailers RHD, SWOP and Twenty Fifty Two, wares from local artists, and maybe even bad psychiatric advice and amateur massages.

With a temporary liquor license for the day, an open kitchen serving burgers ‘till the nighttime and a dance party in the basement to follow, things are looking good.

Harriet Fraser-Barbour, owner of Parsec, says that she hopes that the collaboration, “highlights a different part of Hindley Street – a different side of the nightlife hub that it is”.

“Maybe this could grow to bigger things, and we could have more events like this down this way,” says Emily Sheahan, owner of SWOP. “We could collaborate as an area or a section or a precinct to drive this side of town a little bit more.”

Maybe indeed. PARK(ing) Day gives locals the space to mingle, meet other likeminded people, get creative, buy things, and relax – it has plenty of potential, especially because we all know how many good ideas have emerged over a beer and burger (lots).

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