Pop-up park provides downtown green space in sixth year at Phillips Avenue Plaza

A plaza on Phillips Avenue will be during into a pop-up park for the month of July.

It’s the sixth annual project for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, which looks to fill a void of green space along Phillips Avenue near Ninth Street with flowers, park benches and fun activities.

The pop-up park is designed to allow downtown residents and workers to have access to a green space throughout the month, said Eric Saathoff, the department’s recreation program coordinator. Whether they’re arriving for work in the morning, on their lunch hour or heading home for the day, there are opportunities for them to enjoy programming at the park. 

The pop-up park started in 2016 as part of a movement with different parks agencies across the country to create green spaces in otherwise “hardscapes,” Saathoff said. With some turf in its possession, the Sioux Falls department put together the pop-up park for July in celebration of Parks and Recreation Month. 

“It was very well received the first year,” Saathoff said. “So we’ve brought it back each year since, and it’s something that individuals look forward to.”

Much of the park’s activity is “drop-in” programming, meaning anybody can stop while walking by to participate. In its first years, the park featured mostly daytime activities but has since added more morning and evening programming to accommodate a wider variety of work schedules. 

“One thing that we like to do there is have programming over the lunch hour,” he said. “So if you’re stopping by any of the food establishments downtown and want to play a quick game of bags or something before heading back to work, we do have that opportunity as well.”

This year, a greater emphasis was placed on interactive programming, Saathoff said. The first day of the park features “Just Dance into July,” an evening of dance-related activities. Other notable programs include a partnership with the Great Plains Zoo to bring animals to the park July 10 and a “Doggie DIY” event where pet owners can make their own dog toys July 31. 

“It is an opportunity for the downtown area to have a little bit of green space in their area,” Saathoff said. “It creates activity downtown for people to enjoy. And it’s a great way for visitors to gain access to all that Sioux Falls has to offer.”