City puts fresh coat of paint on the Blue Slide ahead of Mac Miller memorial

There is a fresh coat of paint on the Blue Slide in Frick Park.

It’s ready for the Friday memorial for late rapper Mac Miller as the one-year anniversary of his death approaches.

Fans will share stories and the music of the Pittsburgh rapper from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday at Blue Slide Park playground in Frick Park.

Malcolm James McCormick, known to his fans as Mac Miller, was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home shortly before noon on Sept. 7, 2018. He was pronounced dead a short time later. A Los Angeles man was arrested Wednesday on charges that he sold counterfeit opioid pills to Miller two days before he died of an overdose, according to the Associated Press.

He was 26.

The date was changed from Saturday because another group had reserved the space. Friday’s event was organized by The Mac Miller Memoir, started by the trio of Marc Andre Lauzon and Cody Lee, both of Montreal, Canada, and Zach DiMartini of Shaler.

The three met via social media as fans of Miller’s. What started as three fans has grown to 70,000 followers on social media.

Lauzon and Lee traveled to Pittsburgh last year on what was to be a Miller concert in November and returned for this event. They understand about having to change the date, they said Thursday, standing by the slide. The City of Pittsburgh said via Twitter that another organization had already applied for and received a special events permit Saturday for an event there for children.

“We all wanted a way to come together and remember our friend,” said DiMartini, who met Miller at a concert and has a cherished photo with the rapper. “Everyone is invited. Mac always said music is a beautiful thing.”

The plan is to open the afternoon with Miller’s song “100 Grandkids” and end with “Best Day Ever.” Some folks are bringing food. Fans can win a framed print of the star, which will be raffled off by a local Pittsburgh artist.

The spot was chosen because it was the first place fans gathered when they heard about the rapper’s death. Miller, who grew up in Point Breeze, named his 2011 debut studio album “Blue Slide Park.”

The day will be about music and friendships made because of Miller, Lauzon said.

“It’s about sharing stories,” Lauzon said. “We stopped at the Frick Park Market where Mac always stopped when he was in town, and they recalled his favorite sandwich and how even though he made millions, he would tell them, ‘Put that bill on my mom’s tab.’ That was Mac.”

DiMartini said people are encouraged to donate to Miller’s foundation – The Mac Miller Fund via the Pittsburgh Foundation — to help carry on Miller’s legacy of assisting young musicians to realize their full potential through exploration, expression and community.

“Anything can happen at any time, so you need to live your life to the fullest every day,” Lee said.

The slide will be ready.

“I contacted the mayor’s office and his assistant James Hill said they would put a fresh coat of paint on the slide,” DiMartini said. “We were going to do it, but the city took care of it.”

Blue Slide got a lot of rides this year, @PGHDPW gave it a beautiful new fresh coat pic.twitter.com/mk1gOjHhvf

— Daniel Gilman (@danielgilman) September 5, 2019

Adam Brady came more than 4,000 miles from London.

“I will really, really had to be here,” Brady said. “There is nowhere else I would want to be this weekend. These are my people, and they understand. We are all grieving Mac Miller, and we all want to celebrate his life.”