Just imagine being 17 on a warm summer night and getting
together with a group of friends.
Just imagine being 17 on a warm summer night and getting together with a group of friends. It’s been a long hot day and you’re grateful for the night sky and cool breeze.
As you enter Gilroy Gardens, laughing and chatting about nothing … you hear a band warming up. A few rolls on the drums and a sound check. The air is sweet with blooming trees and flowers. Your heart starts beating with the excitement of the freedom of the night and the anticipation of good times and dancing to what you love to hear. Just imagine the young romances, walking hand in hand through the midway and best friends sharing those crazy, fun moments. And when the last dance is over, and the park is closing they will emerge high on good times, not drugs.
As you can see, I have some ideas about what to do if the city buys Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park. Right now, the park is a wonderful place for little children and people who love to stroll through the gardens. But, I think the park can incorporate teens and other public events and I don’t think the city would have to invest in expansion or “bigger rides” to accomplish this.
My idea is to have the park open later on certain nights for an amateur band night/battle of the bands. High school kids and even college kids would likely attend. I’m sure they would visit the midway, ride some rides, eat and shop. I asked my teenagers if they would do this and if they thought their friends would go. They both said they would love to have a place to hang out with their friends and listen to different bands.
It would be so nice to have something for them to do here in town in the evening other than go to the movies or out to dinner. I don’t think this would be limited to a teenage crowd either. I would go. My husband said he would go. We have a friend who is in a band and he said they would play there. School dances can be held here (as Gilroy High has already been doing), community events and maybe even the Garlic Festival.
Think of all the ways local events and clubs such as boy/girl scouts could be promoted inside the park.
I think if Gilroy decides to buy the park, the key to its success is making it appealing to all age groups and a variety of functions. The fact of the matter is that our youth have few options, the park is bias toward a select age group and it would be a shame not to maximize its potential or even worse not take advantage of buying it for ourselves.
