This 70 acre urban park will open at the end of September 2019. It is located south of Myriad Botanical Gardens, and north of I-40. For the Grand Opening, Kings of Leon will perform.
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Oklahomans are voicing concerns about the Scissortail Park grand opening following a week of gun violence around the nation.
The park is scheduled to open on September 27 with a live concert by Kings of Leon. However, some said they will be staying at home due to recent events.
"I'm not a fan of guns, though, so I'll put on Only by the Night, have cocktails and some weed, and enjoy Sept. 27, 2019 from my backyard. I'm out," Erick tweeted.
Others said they won't let a disturbed person control their life.
"I refuse to live my life in fear," Ken tweeted.
Ward 5 council member JoBeth Hamon said she won't be attending the Scissortail Park concert with Kings of Leon.
“Gives me an opportunity to be around less people and, especially since it has been widely publicized that you can bring guns into the concert, any chance I have to stay away from that is safer and better for me,” Hamon said.
Hamon said the city's hands are tied because of state law.
“It feels like the folks that are organizing the concert and opening of the park have done pretty much everything they can on the bounds of what the state has allowed us to do,” she said.
The Oklahoma City Police Department will have numerous officers both in uniform and not at the event. A spokesperson for the department said, while you may not see an officer, it doesn't mean they're not there.
The large fenced off area will also have controlled entry and exit point where handgun licenses will be checked.
Park security will also be on hand.
“I think we are taking as much security precautions as we possibly can. We're working with the city very closely, EMSA, the fire department, our own staff that's trained in security and events,” said CEO of Scissortail Park and Myriad Gardens Foundation Maureen Heffernan.
The Scissortail Park Foundation said they've received 250 willing to volunteer for the event and haven't received any concerns about volunteering.
“This is a moment to celebrate how far Oklahoma City has come, so it really is a celebration and people should be part of that,” Heffernan said.
Scissortail Park is still looking for 400 volunteers to be a part of the celebration. A volunteer must be at least 14 years old. All abilities are invited to volunteer.
For more information, visit the park's website (
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