When I moved to Chico two years ago, joining my husband in the apartment we lived in by Meriam Park, the first thing I noticed was The Barn. Built in the 1890s, the barn is over 110 years old and was originally part of a working farm located on Meridian Road. It served the purpose of storing farm equipment and hay for the farm’s cows until the page turned on that chapter for the barn. In 2017, the barn was carefully disassembled and transported to Meriam Park, where it is now Chico’s premier event venue for everything from weddings to concerts.
I have always admired the architecture of the barn, and Meriam Park as a whole, but hadn’t realized how much care went into the planning of this development until I spoke with Jen Rothenwander, the marketing manager at Meriam Park. It reportedly would have been easier, and perhaps less expensive, to have simply built a new barn rather than move the existing one, but developer Dan Gonzales is a man who appreciates tradition and figuring out how the old and the new can coexist. It was for this reason that the barn’s owner decided to keep it here in Chico, rather than selling it to an interested party in Napa. Looking at the buildings that have been erected around the barn, one can clearly see Gonzales’ vision; the new construction, home to some of Chico’s best restaurants and boutique gyms, mirrors the galvanized steel of the barn’s roof, its wooden body, and A-frame shape in a way that is clean and modern.
As the barn has changed, not only in physical location but its modernization as well, it feels like Meriam Park has evolved with me, and my family; or rather, it offers something for every stage of life. Before we started our family, my husband and I enjoyed going out to eat at Burban Kitchen and Nama Sake. During my pregnancy, I attended prenatal yoga classes with Vanessa La Rossa at The Pilates Barre. Now, when the weather is nice, we go on a walk to Meriam Park to get breakfast at Daycamp and buy produce (or treats) at Bapa’s. The events at The Barn are evolving, too. While The Barn has always hosted all-ages events, from Silent Disco to the amazing events from Lunar Market and Divine Sundays, the team at Meriam Park is planning new ways to really include families with children.
When the barn was moved to Meriam Park as its focal point, Dan Gonzales had a dream of creating a place where the community could gather and celebrate all of life’s little, and big, moments. In my first meeting with Jen, she said something that really stuck with me: the barn’s initial purpose was to keep hay warm; now, it is coming full-circle to keep families warm. At the end of last year, The Barn at Meriam Park hosted Funtober Fest, an Oktoberfest event where admission for children was free and they could enjoy games, free face painting, balloon animal making, and more. In December, Meriam Park and Lunar Market Chico partnered up for Little’s Lunar Market, where school-aged entrepreneurs were invited to set up a free booth to showcase their wares for last-minute Christmas shoppers. As the space continues to evolve, the team behind the barn looks forward to finding more ways to incorporate kids and families into the space.
These changes aren’t just for kids, either. Especially in the early days of new motherhood, I only got out of the house if I was doing something for or with our daughter – but that saved me. I got to breathe the fresh air, move my body, and interact with people who weren’t my daughter or my husband. When I went back to work, I was met with a new obstacle to overcome: family-friendly events that were on weekdays only. I wanted to participate in play time at the library, or coffee time with other moms, and I couldn’t. When I had a day off, there was no First Five, or activities at the library, or even a support group for moms and their babies. The people behind the events at Meriam Park, and the businesses surrounding it, are parents too. They get it, and aim to literally open their doors to you and your family.
The next time you need something to do with the kids on a weekday evening or over the weekend, Meriam Park has that something for you. My personal recommendation? Head to Burban Kitchen for dinner, where the kids’ menu has something for even the pickiest eaters, enjoy music or trivia at the barn, and then end the night with a scoop of ice cream at Savor. The kids will think you’re the coolest parent ever.
