New Britain to hold Osgood Park summer kickoff

The City of New Britain is hosting its Osgood Park Summer Kickoff on Thursday evening.

The event is set to take place at the newly renovated and re-opened park, rain or shine.

There are lots of activities set to take place including entertainment like a magic show, face painting, yard games, inflatables, roller blading, laser tag, sports games, snack making and craft classes. The city is also planning to have cookout food provided and a DJ.

Osgood Park's complete transformation was six years in the making.

“We’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time," said New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart. “Welcome to the new Osgood Park -- $10 and a half million renovation that the city did.”

Mayor Stewart said initial talks about renovations for the park began in 2018 but there was concern as to where the finances would come from.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding, the bill was able to be paid off and now residents have a new park to enjoy.

“I grew up here so I remember this whole entire place before the first time it was re-done. It was a total mess, but actually seeing it now is really exciting,” said Sarah Mackenzie, a New Britain resident.

Osgood Park is not new to the community. The entire footprint was dug up and reconfigured. Mayor Stewart said the COVID-19 pandemic taught us that there is a need for more outdoor spaces where the community can commune, play, or relax.

This park has all the right nooks and crannies to do those things.

“It’s virtually unrecognizable from what it was before. The field, the brand new turf field, the brand new incredible playground and also the classroom space that we built,” Mayor Stewart explained.

There is also a brand new basketball court, walking trail, handball court, and a feature that'll keep the kiddos cool and happy throughout the summer.

"Actually, the splash pad is what we’re looking most forward to. My son is special needs. He loves going down to the water park,” Mackenzie added.

Mayor Stewart added that multiple classroom spaces that were built inside of the buildings will be used for summer spaces that will be run by the Parks and Recreation Department. She said the city will also allow nonprofit organizations to reserve the spaces for use as well for programming. In addition, the park is a neighbor to three different schools, so they'll likely get more use out of Osgood too.

This evening's event is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be on-site registration for summer programs.

For more information, call 860-826-3360.