It’s dedicated to the man who started Denver’s first Spanish langauge radio station.
Paco Sanchez Park opened in early 2020 and now that vaccines are rolling out, more and more parents and kids are hanging out at this beautifully designed, 50-acre park. Designed to be engaging and active, it’s the perfect place to spend a weekday afternoon.
The designers drew inspiration from the person the park is named after, Francisco “Paco” Sanchez, a local DJ and Hispanic Activist who launched Denver’s first Spanish language radio station in 1952. The biggest feature of the park is the giant 1950s microphones that serves as the playground’s nuclear. Its a tower with stairs and a slide on the inside and attached to it is a bridge, lined with rails that resemble chimes. Below the bridge is a netted climbing adventures that are shaped like sound waves.
A bright orange and red sign stands at the foot of the park with the name ‘Paco’ in honor of the man himself, and there are a lot of colorful and fun accents to the park that add to its charm and whimsy.
There’s even a new installation by artist Carlos Frésquez titled, “Que Vive Paco,” that celebrates his contributions to music. Threestainless-steel disks form a chainlink of vinyls–in colors that represent the Mexican and American flags–and that pay homage to Sanchez’s contributions to the Hispanic community.
The entire project cost around 9 million and was partially funded by the Denver Health Fund.
If you haven’t checked out the park, we highly recommend you do in the Riverside neighborhood.
Where: 1290 Knox Ct, Denver, CO 80204