Klyde Warren Park Hosts First Large-Scaled, Public Event Since Pandemic Began

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park hosted a large-scaled public event.

It has been two full years since the park has been able to hold its annual Independence Day celebration and 18 months since they have been able to host an event with heavy pandemic restrictions. Joy Matthews, Director of Programs for Klyde Warren Park, said the event Saturday marked a milestone in their return to normalcy.

“The holiday event of 2019 was the last big event we did. We were able to do our Independence Day event and holiday event last year, but they were very different,” Matthews said. “We had 100 people at our Independence Day event and it was honoring healthcare heroes. We had circles, so it was socially distant.”

This year’s event included live music and a fireworks show scheduled for 9:30 p.m. The event was expected to draw around 7,000 people, according to Matthews.

Not the worst place to report from on a Saturday evening. @KlydeWarrenPark is hosting its first big public event since the #COVID19 pandemic began.

Park’s director of programs says they expect the event to draw thousands of people tonight @NBCDFW https://t.co/Rh2yfY29IV pic.twitter.com/4EOsmpatsW

— Lili Zheng (@LiliNBC5) June 27, 2021

“We’re really excited to be getting back into our normal in the park, which is sharing free events with the community,” she said.

Events like the one Saturday also brings a big boost for nearby businesses, including the food truck vendors. Tyler Wert is one of the operational managers for Liberation Coffee Company, which has had a truck at Klyde Warren Park for more than three years.

“We were one of the few coffee shops that were able to stay open throughout most of the pandemic and stuff, so it’s been good for us. It’s finally picked up to somewhat normal out here,” Wert said. “We managed to survive. Some of our employees took some time off, so we went down to the bare minimum.”

Audrie Chastain was visiting from Austin on Saturday when she and her family decided to stop by the event.

“It’s honestly really freeing. It’s amazing to see so many people out and about and knowing a lot of people are vaccinated, as well,” Chastain said.

Klyde Warren Park stayed open during the pandemic and offered some activities including exercise events.