"We wanted people to be able to come out and enjoy community events," Mayor Bobby Lindamood told the Star-Telegram ahead of the opening of Heroes Park. "It's got a two-sided stage on it ... it's the perfect park, really and truly."
The mayor meant the stage as a design choice, and this fall puts it to work. Colleyville has moved its main fall gatherings to the new park on the south side of City Hall. National Night Out, the Harvest Festival and the Christmas Tree Lighting are all listed at "Heroes Park at City Hall." So for the next two months, the city's most-attended family events take place beside a memorial that opened with roughly half of its honoree spaces filled. Families who come for a costume contest or a tree lighting will be standing next to walls built to keep adding names.
A memorial planned as a gathering place
The idea dates to January 2023, when the City Council formed a citizen Heroes Park Design Committee. Members were chosen for military backgrounds or relevant project experience. The committee met four times, toured other memorials and unanimously recommended a blended design. The redesign moved the original memorial from Piazza Lane to the south side of City Hall. The city's goal was to combine hero recognition with space for civic events.
The park has memorial walls for World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and conflicts from 1990 onward. It also has seating walls, flags for each branch, benches, landscaping and a pavilion stage. Freese & Nichols presented the engineering design, and J.B. & Co. LLC holds the construction contract. The Star-Telegram described a bronze sculpture, an eternal flame and a lighted sculpture that mimics a flame.
The numbers that matter most this fall are the plaques. At least 193 veterans were to be recognized at the June 26 grand opening. The Star-Telegram reported the park is expected to have around 430 spots, with room to grow. That leaves more than half the spaces open after the first induction, and the events below will put more residents in front of those walls than any other stretch of the year.
How the calendar moved to the park
The move started in the summer. Heroes Park opened at the 7:30 p.m. induction during Stars & Guitars on June 26, followed by Craig Morgan's set and fireworks. The library then scheduled its Summer Reading Grand Finale at the park for July 24, with a DJ, crafts, bounce houses, a petting zoo and free hot dogs. Boot Scootin' Saturday Night moved to the park on September 26. The NE Tarrant Record reported the event would expand to four hours, with a beginner two-step lesson, Big City Outlaws and a mechanical bull.
The fall lineup now follows the same pattern:
- National Night Out, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5:30 p.m. Colleyville Police, Colleyville Fire and Public Works staff will be there, along with SWAT and other public safety vehicles, free food and games. The event card lists an 8 p.m. finish, and a separate city notice says 8:30 p.m.
- Harvest Festival, Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year it adds a market for the first time.
- Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration, Saturday, Nov. 21, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The community tree display moves indoors this year.
National Night Out is also absorbing a canceled event. The Colleyville Fire Department called off its Saturday Open House after the National Weather Service forecast rain during most of the planned hours. The city says firefighters and a fire truck will be at Heroes Park on Oct. 6 instead.
The Harvest Festival adds a market
The Harvest Festival keeps its familiar setup. Local businesses and nonprofits run Trunk-or-Treat from decorated trunks in the parking lot behind City Hall. Costume contests start at 10:30 a.m. for ages 3 and under, then 11 a.m. for ages 4 to 7 and 11:30 a.m. for ages 8 and up. Pets compete at noon. Food trucks take cash or card, and free parking is available in the City Hall south lot and at City Park.
The new part is the Harvest Market, run with ART ALGΣBRA. The city describes it as a mix of local makers, small businesses, food vendors and farmers. ART ALGΣBRA is a gallery and latte bar at 1001 Glade Road that opened in July and hosts pop-up vendor markets at its shop.
The schedule is still unsettled. The city places the market at the Oct. 17 festival. ART ALGΣBRA separately promoted a "Harvest Art Fest and Food Truck Alley" for Monday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The NE Tarrant Record reported that no single official source has confirmed how the two fit together. Check both the city's festival page and ART ALGΣBRA's own channels the week before.
There is a local track record for this kind of market. A city parks and recreation report noted that the Senior Center's first Craft Show and Market on May 29 drew 30 vendors and close to 200 shoppers. Organizers suggested moving future editions to a Saturday to draw more visitors. The Harvest Market is on a Saturday at the city's largest fall event.
The tree lighting moves its tree display indoors
On Nov. 21 the evening starts at 5:45 p.m., when Santa and Mayor Lindamood arrive down Main Street, followed by the lighting of the tree outside City Hall. The city lists balloon artists, photos with Santa, food trucks, choir performances and Santa's reindeer. Jingle Bell Junction is a Christmas Trunk-or-Treat run by local businesses and organizations. A mailbox on the City Hall steps collects letters to Santa.
The Community Decorated Christmas Tree Display is the part that changes. This year the trees will be shown indoors during the lighting event. Organizations must apply by Nov. 2, and selected groups will be notified by Nov. 3. Spots are limited, and Colleyville community groups get priority. Winners are announced on Nov. 21.
Haunted Trails stays at the Nature Center
One October event did not move. Haunted Trails is at the Colleyville Nature Center, 101 Mill Wood Drive, on Oct. 29. The center opens at 6:30 p.m. with food trucks, a DJ and treats. The haunted walk runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The city says that, unlike previous years, this version will be "more trick than treat." It is planned for an older crowd and recommended for pre-teens and up.
Families with younger children have other options that week. The library's Fall Storywalk runs around the City Hall plaza through Oct. 31, with story pages and optional activity sheets. Earlier in the month, Marshall Grain Co. at 5311 Colleyville Blvd. is hosting a free Straw Bale Gardening Class on Oct. 10 from 10 to 11 a.m.
Nominations close Dec. 30
The open plaque spaces are part of the plan. Each hero is to be named on a small plaque with brief biographical details, set on the low walls. The city takes nominations once a year, from July 1 to Dec. 30. That means the window is open during every event listed above.
There are two categories. A military hero must have an honorable discharge and a Colleyville connection. That means five years of residency, a permanent Colleyville address at any point during active service by someone who died in service, or a Gold Star family that has lived in Colleyville for five years. A community hero must have lived in Colleyville for at least five years and made significant contributions that benefited residents. If living, the nominee must have concluded their career or service. The criteria say years of service, monetary donations or an elected or appointed position should not be the main basis for a nomination.
The Heroes Park Board reviews nominations. It has two elected officials and five at-large members, three of whom have military history or Gold Star family status. The board reviews submissions from January to March. Nominations without enough documentation may be held for the following year, and board decisions are final. New honorees are announced at Stars & Guitars, which is usually held in June. A nomination filed by Dec. 30 could put a new name on the walls by next June.
Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate is based in Colleyville, and we keep track of the City Hall events that shape our clients' weekends. If you'd like to know how your home's value compares this season, request a complimentary home valuation and we'll prepare it with the same local attention.
