Coming off a week of heat dome, local can use some relief, and it’s coming for Harrisonburg on Tuesday, with the grand opening of the Ralph Sampson Park Spraygrounds, 6,000 square feet of refreshing cool water coming from various angles.
“The Ralph Sampson Park Spraygrounds is unlike anything we have here in Harrisonburg, or even the surrounding region. We are so excited about being able to bring this type of amenity to our community and look forward to it becoming one of the most popular places to play in all The Friendly City,” Harrisonburg Director of Parks & Recreation Brian Mancini said.
The park opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Ralph Sampson Park, beside the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center at the corner of Washington Street and Simms Avenue.
The ceremony will include a free Kona Ice for the first 350 guests before 12:30 p.m., as well as giveaways, a collaborative art project and other fun and games hosted by the Harrisonburg Parks & Recreation Department.
Spray features are spread across zones tailored for toddlers, teens and families. Interactive elements will allow children to enjoy different experiences across the park, with water spraying up from the ground, dropping out of elevated sprayers and even jetting out of features children can move around themselves.
The spraygrounds is one of nearly two dozen American Rescue Plan Act-funded projects – including six Parks & Rec efforts – approved by Harrisonburg City Council in 2022.
Other recreation-related projects that are either upcoming or completed include a new and improved Kids Castle Playground at Purcell Park, adding lights and restrooms to the Smithland Athletic Complex, improvements to allow for an adult athletic field at Thomas Harrison Middle School and replacement of the Westover Park Skatepark.
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Chris Graham
