THE CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH TO HOST “iCONE-ic” SUMMER IN PARADISE
iCONE-ic-themed SIP, a tongue-in-cheek nod to Clematis St. Construction, to usher in Summer Fun
(West Palm Beach, FLA.) April 24, 2019 – The City of West Palm Beach may be occasionally iCONE-ic when dotted with construction or traffic cones, but our City is always iconic especially along its award-winning Clematis Street corridor. Visitors to the West Palm Beach waterfront can expect to see the fun spin on the word “iconic” throughout downtown during this year’s Summer in Paradise (SIP) campaign. The fifth annual campaign, which encourages visitors to take a ‘SIP’ of fun and free activities, will have a construction theme to embrace Phase II of the Clematis Streetscape project, which aims to create wider sidewalks with more shade trees to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment on our City’s most iconic street. Phase II improvements are scheduled to break ground on the 100 and 200 blocks of Clematis Street in mid-May, and Summer in Paradise programming runs from Thursday, June 6 – Thursday, August 1.
“It is an exciting time to be in the City of West Palm Beach,” said Mayor Keith A. James. “Our downtown is becoming more vibrant with the urban renaissance underway. While we work together with the community to make continued improvements, let’s have a little fun with the Clematis construction. The City’s events team has developed a full list of activities to encourage people to pardon our dust and come downtown.”
While the iconic orange traffic cone will signal road work ahead, it will also be a key image in the City’s branding and Summer in Paradise activations. Each activation plays on the word cone and activities include:
- Cone-y Island | Open daily from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., June 6 – August 1 on the Great Lawn
A summer-long maze created by nationally recognized prop master, Frank Navarrete, will be configured out of construction materials with interactive play zones, shade areas and water misters on the Great Lawn.
- Cone Checkers | 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily and during special event hours through August 1
Come play checkers on a giant checker board with cones converted into checker pieces.
- Cone in the Zone | Mondays – Sundays from June 9 – July 31
The Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach is hosting a fun, summer twist on ‘Elf on the Shelf’ inspired activation. The public is encouraged to come in and search the stacks to locate Mr. Coney McConerson, the Library’s decorated mini orange construction cone, who will be hiding in the Library all summer long. Find Coney, bring him to a customer service desk and win a prize!
- Kid’s Cone Zone | During various events from June 6 – August 1
Big City of West Palm Beach trucks and construction vehicles will be on display for kids to touch and explore.
- SnowCONE Saturdays | Weekly from noon – 2 p.m. from June 8 – July 27
Waterfront visitors can claim a free small snow cone on Saturdays throughout SIP, while supplies last. Location of snow cone giveaway will be announced weekly on the City’s social media pages.
- Orange Out | Weekly on Fridays through July 26
Downtown employees are encouraged to wear “traffic cone” orange on Fridays to win prizes. The more out of their comfort “cone,” the bigger the reward!
- Pop-up surprises all summer long, including dance performances, prize giveaways and artistic flares
“We want residents and visitors to get out of their comfort ‘cone’ and join us in embracing the construction and changes happening downtown,” said Mary Pinak, Community Events Manager for the City of West Palm Beach Department of Parks and Recreation. “We have constructed a bunch of events and activations to engage residents and visitors, and we are guaranteeing ‘funstruction’ this summer in downtown West Palm Beach.”
Summer fun will be anchored by the Summer in Paradise kickoff at Clematis by Night on Thursday, June 6 from 6 – 10 p.m. and the finale, the Clematis by Night Back to School Bash, on Thursday, August 1 from 6 – 9 p.m. The kickoff will include non-stop musical entertainment from four different bands playing back-to-back on two different stages. The bands will cover iconic tunes from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. City officials will open Cone-y Island, and actors from Take Heed Theater will introduce themselves for the first time as the “Clematis Cone Heads” – a posse of cones who will spread spontaneous cheer throughout Clematis Street during Summer in Paradise. The SIP finale will be a celebration of summer and a pep rally for the school year ahead, featuring DJs, games for kids and prizes for all to win.
Additional special Summer in Paradise dates include the Thursday, June 27 Clematis by Night where, in partnership with the City of West Palm Beach’s Summer in Paradise events, United Way of Palm Beach County will host its 90th Anniversary Celebration from 6 – 9 p.m. Residents and visitors are encouraged to come out and enjoy live music, food and games for the whole family to celebrate 90 years of providing access to the basics for those most in need. United Way will give out free T-shirts to the first 90 guests and free snow cones while supplies last.
Summer in Paradise activities will take place along the West Palm Beach waterfront at 101 N. Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, Florida. The two-month long promotion also includes twice the number of bands weekly at Clematis by Night from 6 – 9 p.m., monthly Screen on the Green movies on June 14 and July 12, and monthly Sunday on the Waterfront concerts on June 16 and July 21. For more information about Summer in Paradise and other waterfront events, visit wpb.org/events or call 561-822-1515. For more updates on the Clematis Streetscape project, please visit www.wpb.org or follow the City of West Palm Beach on Facebook @CityofWPB and on Twitter and Instagram @westpalmbch.
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About the City of West Palm Beach’s Summer in Paradise:
“Summer in Paradise” is a partnership between the City of West Palm Beach Department of Parks and Recreation, West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, Arts & Entertainment District, Visit Palm Beach, Palm Beach Outlets, SkyBike, Northwood Village, Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, Historic Northwest Neighborhood, Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, and United Way Palm Beach County to showcase West Palm Beach as an international destination full of events, activities, art, entertainment, shopping, dining and overall fun. “Summer in Paradise” collectively includes two months of events and happenings in the Northwest Neighborhood, Northwood Village and Downtown West Palm Beach from June 6 – August 1.