Confetti Park: Where Imagination, Fun, and Magic Fill the Air

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Confetti Park is a whimsical, magical playground for kids.

Landscape architect Christopher Friedrichs and sculptor Steve-Kline designed Confetti Park in 1996 on land that was a legacy of the Duverje family and home of Algiers' first firehouse (1851). The park derives its name from the Kline's sculptural aluminum fence which is decorated with a pierced confetti pattern. According to a Times-Picayune article, Kline "lavished all his craftsmanship on the fence, treating it as seriously as any sculpture. Speaking of the park prior to its 1996 renovation, Friedrich noted that "there was a broken-down fence on the site when we arrived, and our first decision was that it needed replacing. The new fence gives the playground a special signature: it looks like a fun version of a picket fence and relates to the scale of this residential neighborhood.

Today the park is home to playground equipment, suitable for children aged 2-12, picnic tables, cypress trees, and a small chipped area suitable for running and playing.

Confetti Park was not always so kid-friendly. In fact, in her 2002 article, “Playing it Safe,” Juliette Guilbert reports that the park, “like many of New Orleans’ 100-plus playgrounds, was desperately in need of renovation.” Neighborhood parents called one piece of equipment “the Tower of Death . . . a 12-foot-tall cone fashioned from metal bars and covered with several layers of chipping paint . . . no protective surfacing under the Tower – nor under the park’s swings or old metal slide.” (Guilbert) So, as other neighborhoods around the city, Algiers Point residents organized in 2000 and “took matters into their own hands to rescue dilapidated and dangerous playgrounds,” and ultimately, in 2002, they incorporated as Confetti Kids Inc, a nonprofit organization with 70 member families. Kristin Gisleson-Palmer, at that time co-president of Confetti Kids Inc., said the organization was searching for funding to create “a playground that is reflective of our community and inspiring to our children." (Guilbert) And, so they did. Working to fulfill their mission “to preserve, enhance, and protect our parks to enrich the quality of life for present and future generations in a safe and secure environment in Algiers Point,” during the next three years, not only did they do a complete overhaul of Confetti Park, but they also “worked in partnership with the Algiers Point Association, Art Council of New Orleans, Friends of NORD, Old Algiers Mainstreet Corp., and NORD to achieve the renovation of Delcazal Playground,” just a few blocks away. (Confetti Kids Website)

Along with the playground, Confetti Park also hosts lots of fun activities, such as parties, puppet shows, bicycle races, music events. In addition, there are annual events, such as the Krewe of Confetti Kids Mardi Gras Parade, the Friendship Day Parade, the Easter Egg Hunt, the Candy Land Ball, the Spooktacular Halloween Party, and Christmas events.