Making Greensboro Great

Part of our role as a creative agency is to not only generate excitement around a person, a place or idea, but also to recognize and give props to other people who are doing it well all on their own.
 
This past weekend I volunteered to man the Pop Up Water Park in downtown Greensboro. Imagine February 1 Place between South Elm Street and South Davie Street with a 25-ft long water slide on it that is free to any daring passerby.
 
And people did pass by. They walked right passed it fast- and stared – wide-eyed, and laughed, and even scoffed at the thought of getting their Saturday evening attire wet. I mean they hadn’t even planned for this! Then one eight or nine-year-old girl walked up on the scene with her parents and couldn’t believe there was a water slide in the middle of downtown that was free to use and some harmless looking strangers were asking her if she wanted to try it. Yes, she did – three times. Then another little girl came up and now it was a competition. Then an adult couple came by and before you knew it there was a line of soaking wet children and adults waiting to get on the thing – again.
 
And the thing was so simple. A water slide in an unexpected place had created an area for people who didn’t know each other to gather, get to know each other and have fun together.
 
So props to the City of Greensboro, and our community partners Downtown Greensboro Inc. and Action Greensboro, my friend and Action Greensboro’s Cecelia Thompson, and all the other people who had a hand in making the Pop Up Water Park come to life. Now imagine if everyone who had a cool idea to make Greensboro better actually worked to make it happen…
 
If you want to experience a future Pop Up event yourself, visit https://www.facebook.com/PopUpPromenade.