Originally a town square, Union Square Park serves as the setting for numerous community events and various festivals. It has a long and interesting history starting from when it opened in 1839 to its redesign in 1872 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux to accommodate mass congregations of New Yorkers. In 1882, it hosted the country’s first Labor Day parade and in 1970 it was the staging area for the initial Earth Day. Today, it is the site of the popular Greenmarket. The park includes statues of various historic personages including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Gandhi, and Marquis de Lafayette. Union Square Park offers visitors plenty of room and a pleasant environment.