Parks and Rec schedules 2026 events

Two future events, one a celebration of 20 years of Party in the Park, received scheduled dates during this month’s Creston Parks and Recreation meeting.

In a meeting which laid the groundwork for two 2026 events, Party in the Park and next year’s Comedy Night were scheduled. A portion of the meeting was dedicated to early ideas for both events.

Friday, June 27, 2026, will be the day of Party in the Park’s 20th edition, and possibly the last, at least in name. Board member Todd Kincaid expressed interest in changing the name of the event following the milestone in 2026 in the hope to broaden its appeal.

Another idea to expand the capabilities of Party in the Park introduced the concept of a second stage for performers. Kincaid said this idea would allow for a more festival-like aesthetic to the event, with the goal to create a constant sound of music as the day goes on.

The second stage would also give more opportunities to local performers. More details will be decided in the future.

The other event scheduled will be closer, with Comedy Night penciled in for Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. This would coincide with Valentine’s Day, with the board brainstorming some possible theming during the meeting.

Comedy Night took place last year at the Eagles Club and featured local comedian Dante Powell. The board reminisced and praised Powell’s performance during their meeting. Additional details on 2026’s Comedy Night will be decided in future meetings.

In other parks and rec news...

The meeting day for Parks and Recreation board meeting will change following an order from the now-resigned Creston Mayor Waylon Clayton. The meeting schedule had originally clashed with the timing for city council meetings, meaning a council representative could not attend both.

Meeting times will change to the second Tuesday of the month, with the same time and place at 5:30 p.m. in the Restored Depot. This change will begin starting with the next month’s meeting on Oct. 14.

Progress on newly-painted pickleball courts in McKinley Park has mostly wrapped, with two new courts painted and one permanent net installed.