Our Town Belfast and City of Belfast to host Ribbon-cutting of The Launch Pad

    [To safely comply with guidelines around COVID-19. This ribbon cutting will be a photo opportunity event hosted by a handful of city leaders and Our Town Belfast (OTB) staff and volunteers. Our Town Belfast will broadcast it live via Facebook.]

    The Launch Pad located in the Park on Main is a place for instrumentalists, singers, story-tellers, poets and actors to launch their voices and expressions into the world.

    On Thursday, October 8th at 2pm, City of Belfast Mayor Eric Sanders will cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the Launch Pad in the Park on Main, at 33 Main Street, Belfast.

    The Launch Pad is a five-by-eight-foot performance platform constructed of brick pavers. It will serve as a public space where, during designated hours, performers of any age and level of experience can sing songs, play instrumental music, recite poetry, tell stories or present drama.

    The Launchpad was constructed by Our Town Belfast volunteers, John Monroe, Debbie and Tom Murphy. Belfast Parks and Recreation staff provided and delivered the pavers and stone dust for to the construction of the project. An added benefit of the project was many of the materials were leftover from other projects.

    “The Park on Main has been a primary focus of our Design Committee, the committee has looked at a variety of ways to draw people downtown and to this space, from community decorated hula hoops to now this Launchpad project”, according to Our Town Belfast Executive Director Zach Schmesser, he explained further, “The Launch Pad concept was envisioned by Design Committee member John Monroe in collaboration and tremendous support from Norm Poirier and the City’s Parks and Recreation Department.”

    Mayor Eric Sanders added, “What a pleasure to see something so positive for the arts in Belfast, and with materials we already had. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful open green spaces in our community and are thrilled to continue to develop new programs and infrastructure for the community to use them.”

    For more information about the Park on Main and The Launchpad Program visit: www.ourtownbelfast.org/park-on-main