Kristen Zimmerman, director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry for the City of Brookings, shared an ambitious vision for a summer filled with community events, recreation projects and opportunities to honor veterans during a recent presentation to the Brookings Rotary Club.
Zimmerman highlighted the department’s ongoing mission to create vibrant public spaces and strengthen connections throughout the community through parks, trails and events.
“One of my personal goals is to always make sure that we’re activating our spaces as much as possible,” Zimmerman said. “This summer, we’re full of activities.”
Among the season’s marquee events will be the arrival of the Wall That Heals, a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Brookings is the only community in South Dakota selected to host the traveling memorial during the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration year.
Zimmerman said the city received a perfect score on its application to host the exhibit.
“That was really exciting for me, but it was because of our community,” she said. “We have a tremendous network of partners that are making this happen.”
The memorial will arrive June 9 with a community escort involving motorcycle groups, classic cars and law enforcement agencies, including the Brookings Police Department, Brookings County Sheriff’s Office and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Community members will also have the opportunity to help assemble the wall June 10 at the Fishback Soccer Complex.
“We worked with people that may have family members that are on the wall, and they’re able to carry those panels up and put those specific panels up,” Zimmerman said. “It’s a pretty exciting opportunity.”
The memorial will remain open to the public 24 hours a day throughout its stay in Brookings. A special welcome home ceremony for Vietnam veterans is scheduled for June 11.
“To me, that’s really huge,” Zimmerman said. “I’m a military child, born and raised. My grandfather was in World War II, my other grandfather was in the Korean War, my dad was in Desert Storm, Vietnam and all other conflicts in between. It’s just something I grew up with, and I think it’s a great way to bring our community together.”
Zimmerman encouraged residents to volunteer during the event, including overnight shifts while the memorial is open around the clock.
In addition to the Wall That Heals exhibit, Zimmerman outlined a packed summer calendar that includes baseball tournaments, the Brookings Summer Arts Festival, Juneteenth celebrations, Pride events and a new hot air balloon festival planned for late July at the Fishback Soccer Complex.
“Every weekend, we are booked solid, which is great,” Zimmerman said. “That’s what you want to do all summer long – have a party outside when the weather’s nice.”
Zimmerman also updated Rotary members on several parks and recreation improvement projects underway across the city. A new splash pad originally planned for the Fishback Soccer Complex will instead be constructed at Moriarty Park due to underground water table concerns.
“We still wanted it in that neighborhood,” Zimmerman said. “We wanted to make sure our kids still had access along the trails and that sort of stuff.”
Additional projects include replacing the skate park equipment near the high school with a professionally designed poured concrete skate park and expanding trail connections near schools and neighborhoods.
“Our mission is to create spaces where people want to go,” Zimmerman said. “Increasing the connectivity between schools, parks and neighborhoods is kind of our three-legged stool that we go on.”
Zimmerman said the city’s investments in parks, recreation and public spaces are designed to strengthen community connections while providing more opportunities for residents and visitors to gather, stay active and enjoy Brookings throughout the summer months.
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