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Drivers making their way through downtown Anchorage on Friday were greeted with a strange sight. Instead of parked cars, some metered spaces were filled with artificial turf, lawn chairs and people making s'mores.
"They're pretty good, considering we just made them in the middle of the street," said Jennifer Cruz, enjoying a freshly made s'more at the Urban Camp Site outside Snow City Café.
Organized by the Anchorage Park Foundation and the Anchorage Economic Development Corp., 10 groups set up "pop-up parks" throughout town.
The materials used varied, from artificial turf and a fake Christmas tree at the Urban Camp Site to real sunflowers, a Buddha statue and a soapbox at the People's Park, outside Side Street Espresso.
The idea behind Park(ing) Day, as it is called, is to call attention to the need for more urban open space and to generate debate around how public spaces are used.