TB McPherson park empties on first weekend without Peaceful Sunday gathering

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - TB McPherson Park in East Gainesville sat empty on Sunday as the park closed for the first time following a city decision.

City officials announced the park would begin closing on Sundays in response to Peaceful Sundays--a weekly community gathering that was previously permitted by the city.

Organizers of the event say they’ve been holding them for nearly 25 years and they are important to the community in East Gainesville.

“[We] just enjoy ourselves on a Sunday after a long week--most people work six days a week so on Sunday they want to cool down and wind down--and it just grew and grew and grew,” said one of the founders, Tim Curry.

The park was closed in response to increased complaints about the event. Neighbors say it was getting more confrontational and disrupting to the area.

However, Curry says the event has always been peaceful and throughout the years there have only been minor incidents.

He says Peaceful Sundays have always been just that.

“Everybody brings whatever they need to bring and then we have a real nice time,” said Curry. “There are no problems, no trouble, no drama, none of that cause we tell them to leave that stuff at home or take it somewhere else.”

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