Tipsu Palach Park: The gift of outdoor gathering

Deriving its name from the Chinuk Wawa words for “plant gift,” Tipsu Palach Park in Dundee is a testament to the power of a community coming together to create an outdoor place to gather, refresh, and restore.

The creation of this two-acre park, located off Dundee’s historic Main Street in the heart of Oregon’s wine country, took the coordinated action of several parties. Owners of the adjacent Dundee Hotel realized that converting the city-owned site into a park would provide travelers and community members with an outdoor gathering space – something much-needed during the height of the pandemic.

Landscape Designer Dan Jenkins got SERA involved, and formed a team that wrote the grant, envisioned and described the design, pulled together a budget, and submitted the project for funding. With the support of the hotel and the City of Dundee, the project moved forward with a community engagement process, including neighborhood meetings and city council presentations.

Because the project was in response to the pandemic-related need for outdoor gathering space, design and construction moved quickly. The park opened in the fall of 2021 and hosted the hotel’s Memorial Day celebration in 2022 with an array of community-minded design features.

• Amphitheater
• Seating and gathering areas with benches and picnic tables
• Native plantings
• A cutting and pollinator garden

A simple walkway moves through the park, surrounding an open lawn and garden area for community use. The park also includes bike racks and a repair station to support the active cycling community that comes through Dundee.

The name Tipsu Palach was chosen to honor the relationship between the City of Dundee and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The city has plans to continue improving the park with more seating, a shelter, and restrooms, ensuring that the park will continue to serve both the local community and visitors to the area for years to come.