Central Park Water Gun Fight Cancelled For Great Lawn - Event Will Continue Throughout Park - Organizers

Waterfight NYC 2015  Facebook page screenshot.

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

The tension created by tomorrow's un-permitted water gun fight which had been shaping up as a potential showdown in the park has been at least been partially defused as organizers have canceled the initial battlefield location - The Great Lawn.

"We are no longer doing it on the Great Lawn, " said co-creater Brian De La Cruz.  "It's going to be spread out throughout the park," he said. 

Authorities were concerned that if the number of people who confirmed on Facebook actually showed up they could damage the lawn.

The social media-promoted event is billed as Waterfight NYC 2015.  Sixty-three thousand people have already said they were coming and another six thousand "maybe's".

The event, the brainchild of cousins Brian De La Cruz and Joshen Abreu had been planned for The Great Lawn at 2:00pm. 

A Central Park Conservancy spokesperson explained that large events like this require a permit which organizers do not have. 

"The NYPD and PEP are aware that this is an un-permitted event," a Conservancy spokesperson said. 

"It's not illegal to have water guns in the park, " said De La Cruz who said they were never contacted by the Parks Department.

"You can't stop people from coming in.  It was never an organized event, it was always friends inviting friends but now that the media began covering it, it has grown huge. 

They (the city) have every right to stop a large un-permitted event. I agree with that," he said.

Last year's Water fight looked like a lot of fun. 

"Ladies remember your hair will get wet, but who cares? The idea is to have fun," the narrator states, adding, "and most important make friends."

Read More:

Central Park: Annual NYC water fight will be shut down
Am NY - July 23, 2015 - By Ryan Kushner 

http://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/above-and-beyond/waterfight-nyc