The first public all-abilities playground in the Wasatch Back opens Oct. 17 at Willow Creek Park after the area has been closed since July for construction.
Local parents like Silver Springs resident Alissa Van Wie are excited to see the new playground.
“My kids have grown up going to Willow Creek, and I think it's always fun and exciting to have something new,” Van Wie said. “So they've been watching the construction all summer, and I think they're excited to go check it out.”
Basin Rec Board Chair Brandi Connolly lives in Silver Springs too, and her three kids attend Parley's Park Elementary School nearby.
“Seeing this new playground, the kids are really excited about it,” she said. “And I think, as a parent in that community, I'm most excited about the fact that it's an all-abilities playground.”
That means it allows for kids to play side-by-side, even if they have a disability.
“We want kids who have a mobility disability—so possibly in a wheelchair—we want them to be able to get to the highest point in the playground,” District Director Dana Jones said.
The grand opening is from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Willow Creek Park, with a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. Cookies and hot cocoa will be served.
