The city of Denver is opening a brand new off-leash dog park in Barnum Park this weekend.
Meanwhile, the off-leash experiment at Speer Boulevard Park is coming to a close. The "pop-up" dog park that has been operating there is scheduled to shut down on Dec. 31.
The new park in Barnum:
The new dog park in Barnum will open with a ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9. there will be a doggy fashion show and a food truck. Barnum Park is at West 4th Avenue and North Julian Street.
The Barnum dog park is about three-quarters of an acre.
Will they open a permanent park near Confluence?
City staff opened the grassy area near Cherry Creek to dogs on Sept. 1, although rule-breakers have long let their dogs run free there.
"Following the closure, we’ll evaluate the project to determine next steps and whether there should be a permanent facility in the area," wrote parks spokeswoman Cyndi Karvaski in an email.
"We currently don’t have an estimate of the time that the process will take. We are having to review the challenges with managing a dog area of this type, as turf dog parks are not sustainable year-round when the grass is dormant."
Ethan Palay, a regular visitor, said the place has seen heavy traffic. "There are dozens and dozens of people who use that dog park daily, and would be heartbroken if it left," he wrote in an email to Denverite.
Also: We want to hear about your experiences with off-leash dogs in Denver. Do you let yours roam wherever? What have you experienced at the dog parks? Email me.
