Volunteers Restore Musical Instruments at Dry Creek Park

The popular music attraction at Dry Creek Park is whole again after community volunteers helped restore the instruments after it was vandalized and stolen back in November 2019. (Clovis Roundup Photo)

The Music Park installation at Clovis’ Dry Creek Park on Alluvial and Clovis Ave. has been repaired nine months after it was vandalized.

Volunteers from the community came together this week to fix the popular attraction at the park after instruments were stolen.

“We were devastated,” said Lori Reed, an Old Town Clovis Kiwanis Club board member. “We couldn’t believe that somebody would do that because when we put it in, it was with the idea that all age groups can enjoy. That somebody would take that away from our community kind of made you sick to your stomach.”

The Swirl, Pegasus and Yantzee are back and more secure, having been reinforced with stainless steel that was provided by SSWI, a Fresno company that specializes in creating stainless steel holding tanks. Mallets for a windchime have been replaced as well.

“We were just so grateful that this company donated all of the stainless steel, all of the materials and all of the labor to make the instruments a little more secure,” Reed said.

Back in November, vandals broke and stole two instruments, a xylophone and marimba. The instruments were part of the “Music in the Park” project that was donated by the Old Town Kiwanis in June 2018. It is located just north of the playground area, near the Clovis Botanical Garden.

The project consisted of six freestanding instruments, including chimes and drums, that allow people of all ages to use music as a creative form of expression. The instruments were designed and manufactured by Freenotes Harmony Park in Colorado.

Michael Ford
Michael graduated from Fresno State in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in print journalism. During his time at the university, he served as sports and managing editor for The Collegian, Fresno State’s student-run newspaper. In addition to the Clovis Roundup, Michael has written for The Fresno Bee, the Kingsburg Recorder and Selma Enterprise. He has a passion for sports and can be found on the sidelines at local games, bringing the citizens of Clovis the athletics news they deserve.