With spring upon us, it's the perfect time to enjoy a stroll or some other fun recreational activities in the park. If you’re living in Valparaiso, Cristina Darr may be part of the reason the parks bring much joy and pleasure to you and your friends as she is the Valpo Parks Special Events Director, and she certainly knows how to stay busy and keep people coming back for more.
Darr grew up and completed high school in Portage and then she went on to graduate from Indiana University (IU), studying in the prestigious Kelley School of Business, with a concentration in marketing – something seemingly unrelated to event planning.
Under her specific studies, all sorts of logistics and planning served as pre-rigorous coursework for her. Where many people pursue a career in recreation with a degree in hospitality, Darr fully channeled the characteristics of a black sheep, with her going down more of a business route. And that route may have just been the spark that Darr needed in order to attract the masses to all the special events she oversees.
But even before working for Valpo Parks, Darr had a wide array of different jobs, sometimes working in fields outside of recreation. However, she has always found a way to involve event planning in what she does for work.
“I worked for a couple of different venues as a wedding coordinator and event planner, so I used to do a lot of weddings. I did all kinds of events, like funerals, fundraisers, but more than half of what I did was weddings. Valpo Parks is a little bit of a different position for me, because I'm not doing weddings at all. Now, some of the things I'm doing are on a bigger scale, like the city's huge Fourth of July fireworks event,” Darr said.
Though she may not have always strictly done special sorts of events, Darr is definitely a valuable asset to Valpo Parks. She brings a ton of experience to her new position, and that’s needed for exciting events to be planned, and for a large audience to come out.
“I'm fairly new to Valpo Parks. I started in July of last summer, and my position is actually a new position for the Parks – so I'm the first person to have it. As my title says, I run all of the special events, which include all the different 5K runs and other various events throughout the year, like Winterfest and Tree Lighting, charity-related events, and the Day Trips Program,” Darr said.
On top of planning things, Darr notices the value that her job brings to the community, and she’s quick to realize that her role is an important part of making the community fun.
“I think it's really important, because in Valpo, there are so many opportunities that the city and the parks offer to the community with the fabulous parks we have, especially downtown Central Park Plaza. I think it really is a huge benefit to all ages. We have things for kids, we have things for adults, and a lot of our events are free,” she said. “You know, just looking at surrounding areas and other places that I've lived, we have a really robust parks department, and a lot of hard work goes into all those things here, so I'm very proud to be a part of it.”
With the responsibilities Darr has, balancing other aspects of life outside of work may get challenging at times. But she is resilient, and her efforts go past just making money. And when someone’s time and patience extend beyond the workplace, such as balancing family life, admiration is well-deserved.
“I think like any working mom – it's always that struggle. My kids are a little bit older now, so in certain ways, it's gotten easier. But there's always that balance. My brain never stops, so I'm always planning something, whether it's for work or for my family. Of course, I'm the party planner in the family, too, so people tend to lean on me to figure that kind of stuff out,” Darr said.
Outside of work, when she can escape planning events, Darr is able to indulge in a few hobbies. And when someone is allowed even just a little bit of time to rest and focus on leisure activities, their mind will surely be in a better place.
“I enjoy theatre, and I like to go watch it live. My daughter is actually an actress, so she kind of got me into that. And I drive a Jeep, so we like to go take rides and just relax,” she said.
To witness the hard work that Darr puts forth, you can check out the website for Valpo Parks at https://www.valpoparks.org/. With the warm weather that spring brings and the freedom of summer coming, check out some of the Valpo Parks events that Darr has likely planned!