The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is transforming its must-attend Party in the Park luncheon this year into Cocktails in the Park, a unique cocktail event, to take place at Pinebank Promontory at Jamaica Pond on Wednesday, September 22, 2021. Cocktails in the Park will bring guests together in celebration of parks and open space, and their essential role in public health. All proceeds will support the Revitalization of Charlesgate Park—a critical link in the region’s greenspace network.
Boston’s parks advocates, Conservancy supporters and Emerald Necklace champions will be in attendance at Cocktails in the Park. Festive fall décor, including Winston Flowers greenery and arrangements, will grace the open air, amid the stunning backdrop of some of Boston’s most magnificent trees and views of Jamaica Pond. Attendees will enjoy an outdoor and tented reception courtesy of The Catered Affair, a silent auction and other unique activities. Tickets and sponsorships are available online at www.emeraldnecklace.org/party-in-the-park.
“We are so thrilled for this event to be returning to the Emerald Necklace this year and taking a moment to reflect on what the parks have meant for us over the past 18 months, and how we can continue to invest in this unparalleled Boston gem. Planning an event during these times is challenging, but with the leadership of our amazing event co-chairs and the entire Party in the Park Committee, we are excited to bring renewed attention to the Emerald Necklace parks, and the Revitalization of Charlesgate Park in Particular,” said Wendy Shattuck, Founder of Party in the Park.
Charlesgate Park, located at the intersection of Boston’s Back Bay, Fenway and Kenmore neighborhoods, was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as the first part of the Emerald Necklace, connecting the Charles River Esplanade, Commonwealth Avenue Mall, several neighborhoods and the five-mile, six-park linear park system of the Emerald Necklace. In the 1950s and 1960s, prioritization of road construction over parkland (Storrow Drive) compromised this once-idyllic space, overshadowing it with a highway overpass (Bowker Overpass), and dividing it with new roads and on-ramps, ultimately increasing pollution of the Muddy River and deteriorating the park’s usability. Stripped of its amenities, Charlesgate Park—originally a neighborhood green space and a local destination—now functions primarily as a pass-through for pedestrians and vehicles, devoid of recreational services.
“The Charlesgate section of the Emerald Necklace is so compromised today, that most visitors don’t recognize it as parkland. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring this parkland back to prominence,” said Karen Mauney-Brodek, President of Emerald Necklace Conservancy. “Thanks to the tremendous work of the committee members and supporters of Cocktails in the Park, the proceeds from the event will go directly to making 13 acres of Olmsted’s park into an accessible, vibrant and environmentally-sound destination again, and provide much-needed amenities in this dense and active part of the city.”
Learn more about the Revitalization of Charlesgate Park here:
www.emeraldnecklace.org/restoration/charlesgate.