Merriweather Park To Delight The Senses With OPUS 1

COLUMBIA, MD – This weekend, Merriweather Park will be open to the public for a spectacular fall festival called OPUS 1. The free event will bring the woods to life through a display of light, art and sound.

Developer Howard Hughes is sponsoring the OPUS 1 event, which is part of the 50th birthday celebration of Columbia.

“OPUS 1 is the first day of the next 50 years of Columbia,” Howard Hughes Executive Vice President of Development John DeWolf said in a statement.

“OPUS 1 allows us to tell the story of the next phase in Downtown Columbia’s cultural evolution, to help paint the picture of what we imagine the future of the city will look like," DeWolf said. "We are committed to providing an opportunity where art, music, and technology can flourish in an extraordinary way.”

There will be more than 11 art installations that people can check out at the event, organizers say. The following will be among them, according to a news release:

• "The Lightning Cloud" inflatable air pavilion for projection art
• "The Dream Machine" psychedelic sculpture
• Improvisational ensemble EXO-TECH Galactic Hearth, ranging from jazz to R&B
• "The Mutual Wave Machine," an interactive neurofeedback installation that showcases the concept of "being on the same wavelength"
• "The Projection Cube," a 360-degree installation of video art

OPUS 1 is sponsored by the Howard Hughes Corporation. It will run from 4 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. Reserve free tickets online via Eventbrite.

See Also: Columbia Celebrates 50th Birthday

Image of one of several installations planned for OPUS 1, courtesy of Businesswire.