Sugar Land opened its second splash pad on Oct. 9, at Sugar Land Memorial Park on University Boulevard. It will close for the season on Oct. 31. Counting from Thursday, Oct. 22, that leaves nine open days, because the pad closes every Monday. The city's older splash pad at RiverPark generally ends its season on Oct. 15, so for the rest of the month Memorial Park is very likely the only city spray zone still running.
The park's own calendar happens to fill those same nine days. Bike Fest takes over on Sunday, Oct. 25. Yappy Hour fills the dog park on Thursday, Oct. 29. The splash pad's last day, Oct. 31, is also the morning of a tree planting at Brazos River Park, right next door. Almost all of the city's outdoor fun for the rest of October happens on this one piece of land beside the Brazos.
Why the new pad is the one still running
The RiverPark splash pad sits just behind the RiverPark neighborhood pool. The city lists its season as "generally" April 15 to Oct. 15, closed Tuesdays until noon for cleaning. It has fountains, dumping buckets and a misting rainbow, but no restroom, according to the city's RiverPark facility page.
Memorial Park's pad runs on a different schedule. Its facility listing shows a season of April 15 to Oct. 31, open sunrise to sunset and closed Mondays for maintenance. Restrooms are close by, since the pad was built next to the park's existing playground.
The city chose this park on purpose. In its opening announcement, Sugar Land said RiverPark's pad had been popular, and residents had asked for another one through the Community Survey and Sugar Land Speaks. The Parks and Recreation Department then picked Memorial Park for the second pad. The same release calls Memorial Park the city's second most visited park, with about 198,000 visitors making about 571,000 visits a year. That works out to almost three visits per visitor. People come back here.
What's behind the new fence
The whole site covers about 8,300 square feet. The fenced spray zone in the middle is 2,450 square feet, with walkways, seating, a large shade structure and landscaping around it. Families can sit in the shade and still watch the kids, and the fence and gates keep the play area closed in.
Inside the fence are 11 interactive water features. The city says they're designed for children of different ages and abilities, from a small toddler slide up to a large cluster of water buckets. The pad uses a flow-through water system, and sidewalks connect it to the park's existing paths.
The project was paid for by the Sugar Land 4B Corporation, using sales tax money set aside for community and recreation projects. The city says it finished ahead of schedule and under budget. Kimberly Terrell, the city's Director of Parks and Recreation, said in the release that the pad is "more than a place to play" and is "another way Sugar Land brings our community together."
The nine open days, in order
Here's the stretch from publication day to closing day. Every date is at Memorial Park, 15300 University Blvd., unless noted.
- Thursday, Oct. 22 through Saturday, Oct. 24. Three regular splash pad days, sunrise to sunset.
- Sunday, Oct. 25. Sugar Land Bike Fest runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park, and the city calendar notes an adoption event during the festival. The splash pad is open too, so a family can do both.
- Monday, Oct. 26. The splash pad is closed for weekly maintenance.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Wednesday, Oct. 28. Two regular splash pad days.
- Thursday, Oct. 29. Yappy Hour runs 6 to 8 p.m. at Pawm Springs Dog Park, inside Memorial Park. The city's fall events announcement lists food trucks, music, local pet vendors and clinics, plus a special treat for dogs that arrive in costume.
- Friday, Oct. 30. The second-to-last splash pad day of the year.
- Saturday, Oct. 31. The splash pad's final day. Next door, Trees Across Sugar Land runs 9 a.m. to noon at Brazos River Park, 18427 Southwest Freeway.
Bike Fest and Yappy Hour land four days apart, on a Sunday morning and a Thursday evening. A family that comes to both will see the park at two very different times of day, and the splash pad will be open both times.
Where the rest of the park fits
The city describes Memorial Park as 150 acres on the Brazos River, with 2.5 miles of walking and biking trails, a lake, two large pavilions, restrooms and an enclosed play area with climbing ropes. The park's facility page also lists picnic areas, fishing and a canoe launch.
The trails make it easy to put together a longer outing. On the city's trail map, the Lake Loop is about 1.15 miles. The South Meadow Loop is about 0.75 miles, the Connector Trail about 0.35 miles, and the Justin P. Brindley Mountain Bike Trail about a mile. The map is from 2019, so treat those distances as close rather than exact. The same map shows a pavilion on the Lake Loop and labels Brazos River Park at the river edge of the property. That's the same Brazos River Park hosting Trees Across Sugar Land on Oct. 31.
For bigger groups, the Main Pavilion holds 130 people and sits near the lake, the playground, the restrooms and the large parking lot. All of those are within a short walk of the new splash pad. A birthday crowd or a group of families can set up at the pavilion, let the kids run back and forth to the water, and send whoever's restless out on the Lake Loop.
Pawm Springs Dog Park, home of Yappy Hour, covers six acres next to the main park. With the dog park, a playground, a lake, river frontage and now a splash pad, there's something here for nearly every member of a household on the same afternoon.
What happens after Oct. 31
The splash pad reopens April 15, 2027. The trails, pavilions, lake and dog park stay open through the winter.
The next city celebration moves off the river. The Christmas Tree Lighting, presented by St. Michael's Elite Hospital Sugar Land, is Friday, Nov. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sugar Land Town Square, 2711 Plaza Drive.
A bigger change for Sugar Land's park network is further off. Community Impact reported that on July 21, City Council approved a $9.19 million construction contract with B&D Contractors Inc. for Sugar Land Trail Phase 1. That's a 3.5-mile, 10-foot-wide concrete trail along Ditch H, running from Imperial Park to Lexington Boulevard. According to the same report, the plans include underpasses at Highway 6, Meadowcroft Boulevard and Highway 59, three pedestrian bridges, and glow stones that soak up daylight and glow for about 10 hours at night. City officials expected substantial completion in October 2027, Community Impact reported. If that schedule holds, substantial completion would fall right around the end of the Memorial Park splash pad's first full season.
New parks and amenities are one of my favorite things to watch in Sugar Land, and the families I work with ask about them all the time. If you'd like a short list of the park spots I'd point friends to, from the Lake Loop to the best seats by the new splash pad, reach out to Denise Moore. Let's Connect.
