The community gathered in Burnside Park on Thursday, August 17th to celebrate the grand opening of Brandon’s Beach, a new one-of-a-kind destination playground for children of all abilities. Before the official ribbon cutting, Cliff Wood, executive director of The Providence Foundation and Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy, described how safe places filled with activities are critical to creating healthy communities. He thanked several partners, from Brian and Barbara Goldner, who generously helped to underwrite the project, to Mayor Elorza, the Providence Police Department, the Providence Dept. of Planning & Development, the Providence Dept. of Parks & Recreation, the Providence Preservation Society, KidoInfo, and others.

Mayor Elorza added that parks are great equalizers, as they bring people together. He called Burnside Park our city’s central square, and he looks forward to unveiling more plans for changes to the space soon.

Watch a video and read more about Brandon’s Beach in The Providence Journal.