By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The stars nearly aligned but the 11th annual Party in the Park falls on Saturday, Aug. 12 this year in Great Bend. The day-long event will feature many of the same activities as previous parties, but Community Coordinator Christina Hayes said a new variation of an old event begins at 9:30 a.m. that morning at Veterans Memorial Park.
"We always do some sort of paint in the park, whether it be little projects people can take home or we've done the Great Bend Rocks before," she said. "This was kind of a fun idea we found online that a community had done, and we thought, let's just try it."
The Explore Great Bend Facebook page posted a photo of a rock snake on June 12. That post elicited more than 450 likes and 119 shares. Great Bend will call its snake Piper the Party in the Park Python
"We've not determined if the home will be Vets Park, but we will make it where it's on display," Hayes said. "It's kind of a fun, little different thing to do for free for kids and people of all ages. It's just a new fun addition and it will be on the south side over by the playground in the morning of Party in the Park."
This year's Party in the Park begins at 9 a.m. with the Oozefest Mud Volleyball Tournament at Vets Park. Live music begins at 6:15 p.m. that evening, capped with fireworks at 10 p.m. and more music from Homebrew after that.