Visalia splash pad opens as mercury hits 90 all week

Meade Trueworthy
·2 min read
Lailo Cabrera, 7, left, his sister Emma Cabrera, 11, and their cousin Aailiyah Polanco, 7, play in water streams in this file photo at the splash pad in Riverway Sport Park. Temperatures are expected to be mid 90s through the week.
Lailo Cabrera, 7, left, his sister Emma Cabrera, 11, and their cousin Aailiyah Polanco, 7, play in water streams in this file photo at the splash pad in Riverway Sport Park. Temperatures are expected to be mid 90s through the week.

No plans this Memorial Day weekend? Grab your sunblock and towels and head to the park for some summer fun with the family.

The Splash Pad at Riverway Sports Park kicked off the start of summer on Saturday and will stay open through the summer.

The Splash Pad is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day weekend in September.  There will intermittent closures for maintenance and repair, city staff said.

Splash Pad Rules:

  • Do not use the splash pad to bathe or wash off children, this allows debris to enter the spouts and become clogged leading to a shutdown for maintenance

  • Keep food, wrappers, diapers and small toys away from the Splash Pad and clean up all trash nearby

  • Do not allow children to pick at or remove pieces of the matting

"We know that the Splash Pad is a very popular feature and allows for free, family friendly fun for littles ones of all ages," said Alvin Dias, parks and facilities manager. "Our Parks team has been hard at work finishing an entirely new flooring on our splash pad , as well as ensuring that the filtration system and floor fountains are ready to go."

The Splash Pad at Riverway Sports Park is a 1,638 square-foot water play area.  A nonslip surface with interactive water fountains for kids to interact with makes for a fun cool down/play area. The splash pad has zero-depth, meaning it is not intended for swimming, and is an inclusive space.

To meet water conservation efforts, the splash pad uses a recirculation system, with 90% of the water conserved, filtered and re-used.

The Splash Pad at Riverway Sports Park is located near the front center of the park, between Soccer Fields 3 and 8. There is parking nearby and restrooms and a playgrounds close to the splash pad.

For families looking for a full day of fun, Riverway Sports Park also has two playgrounds, open grassy play space, barbecues for grilling, picnic tables and covered, arbor picnic areas that can be reserved through the City of Visalia Parks and Recreation website.

Riverway Sports Park is located at 3611 N. Dinuba Blvd. in Visalia.

Anna Brown, 6, plays with other children in this file photo from the splash pad in Riverway Sport Park.
Anna Brown, 6, plays with other children in this file photo from the splash pad in Riverway Sport Park.

This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Visalia splash pad opens as mercury hits 90 all week