It can’t come soon enough for Chuck Russell and his 5-year-old granddaughter, Hannah Martin.
“I love it,’’ said Russell, a 1967 Fairfield High School graduate whose backyard abuts the park.
“We’ve been watching this go up. Our younger grandkids will love it.”
Buckets of water will fall on children when they walk through the Canopy Cluster. Water will spray on them from all directions – both inside and outside of the Aquahedra.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Kids can change the direction and intensity of the water jets at the spray stacker. And walk through an arch of water at the Spray Stacker.
Kids can test all of the features during the grand opening celebration at the park, 1300 Hunter Road, following an 11 a.m. ribbon cutting, and brief remarks. There will be giveaways, balloon arches, and the Flub’s ice cream truck will be on site.
Many families in the city have been waiting for the splash pad to open since it was first proposed as a goal in both the Fairfield Forward and the parks master plans more than two years ago.
Permitting delays from the Ohio Department of Health caused the splash pad to open a year later than originally planned.
“We’re looking forward to a grand opening. It’s been a couple years in the making,’’ said Mandi Brock, parks and recreation director.
“It’s designed for kids of all ages and abilities. It’s a family-friendly, engaging play area for all families and kids of all ages.”
The splash pad is adjacent to two, separate, playgrounds for children ages 2-5 and 6-10. The playgrounds and splash pad were designed built at a cost of $3.9 million by Landscape Structures Inc., and its water feature division, Aquatix, Brock said.
Both are adjacent to a new parking lot and a covered, L-shaped wood and masonry shelter with picnic tables. The shelter was designed so parents could see their children playing on all playground equipment as well as the splash pad, Brock said.
Closer to the splash pad are new restrooms that contain the mechanical room for the splash pad. Features of the splash pad were tested and received final approval earlier this year.
While visiting the park and splash pad recently, Martin was drawn to the splash pad’s WhirlPad, which she kept spinning.
“It looks like a mushroom,” she said. “It kind of makes me want to get on it – I’m not scared.”
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