What is Dude Chilling Park?
Dude Chilling Park is the 2nd most visited park in Vancouver, Washington British Columbia and is the cultural and spiritual nexus of Mount Pleasant (Vancouver’s coolest neighbourhood).
Situated on unceded Coast Salish territory, with a 360 degree view of the surrounding buildings, it enjoys a mild central Vancouveran temperate climate and lush grass fields.
Dude Chilling Park is Vancouver’s 3rd most important tourist draw. The park enjoys a 4.5 star rating on Yelp (and climbing!) and 4.6 stars on Google.
Finding Dude Chilling Park
Dude Chilling Park is located just steps away from the Pacific Ocean. Nestled at the intersection of cosmopolitan Main Street and adequate East Broadway, you can reach the park by bike, walking, transit, or car.
Features
- Dude Chilling Art Exchange (have some art, leave some art…. need some art, take some art)
- Community garden
- Tennis court
- Jungle gym
- Free morning yoga every morning during the summer
- Volleyball net polls
- Shade trees
- Picnic tables (seasonal)
- Two toilets
- Lush grass fields
- Events
Origins
According to the City of Vancouver:
The site was named Guelph Park on March 13, 1972, after the bounding street which in turn recognized the family name of Queen Victoria.
The park was named thusly as an homage to the Guelph Treasure.
From Guelph Park to Dude Chilling Park
Guerrilla artiste Viktor Briestensky installed the original Dude Chilling Park sign:
On November 2012, the prank sign was created by local artist Viktor Briestensky as a light-hearted reference to Reclining Figure, a public art piece by Michael Dennis installed in Guelph Park in 1991.
The Vancouver Park Board took down the sign, and public unrest followed.
“In the year after it was removed, over 1,800 people signed an online petition requesting that Vancouver actually rename the park itself, and Sharma says that the vast majority of residents who the Park Board spoke with supported bringing back the sign.”
Politicians relented, and the sign was officially re-installed.
Now Dude Chilling Park is world famous and the term is one of the most searched for phrases on Google in relation to Canada. The Dude Chilling Park sign is located in the southwest corner of the park and is routinely stolen (seriously, why doesn’t the Park Board use an anti-theft nut?).
From concept, to pirate art, to the modern and sanctioned Dude Chilling Park sign
However, the park’s official name is still “Guelph Park”, and “Dude Chilling Park” is the unofficial alternate only. This must be changed.
Media Darling
When news of Dude Chilling Park made it to the outside world, the internet’s collective head exploded. It was picked up by David Letterman:
Other media hits:
- Toronto Star: Sign of the times: Vancouver’s Dude Chilling Park
- Gizmodo: Vancouver Moves Closer to Officially Naming a “Dude Chilling Park”
- The Verge: Welcome to Dude Chilling Park, Vancouver
- CBC: Dude Chilling Park sign gets official public art status
- Georgia Straight: Dude Chilling Park? More like Dog Pooping Park