PHOTOS: Meacham Park Homecoming Unites ‘Old Friends and New Faces’

Approximately 200 people attended the 39th annual Meacham Park Homecoming, a celebration of the Meacham Park neighborhood in . The event started with a parade through the streets of the neighborhood at 11 a.m. and continued with live music and street vendors at Meacham park throughout the afternoon.

Several schools and organizations attended the parade, as well as government officials. Kirkwood Mayor Art McDonnell said the event was important to shine a positive light on Meacham Park.

“The historical importance of this neighborhood is great and we want to celebrate it,” McDonnell said. “It’s great to bring back people to reconnect with this wonderful neighborhood.”

Darnel Frost, chair of the human rights commission, said the event was very important for the mission of the commission, which was created to address minority disparities in Kirkwood.

“At the heart of what we do is community building,” Frost said. “That’s why we are here. There’s always so much negative that comes out of this neighborhood, we want people to know there’s much more positive.”

For Vanessa Winters, a resident of Meacham Park, the parade was about bringing people together.

“It’s a way for people who left the neighborhood to reunite with the community,” Winters said. “It brings together old friends and new faces.”