“We were looking for a new way to get families out into the parks throughout Fairfield,” said David Sheldrick, marketing specialist for the city of Fairfield. “So, this is a great opportunity to get everyone out to see parks they may not know about and to see what each park has to offer — from playgrounds to splash pads, shelter houses, and so much more.”
Residents can participate by downloading and printing the passport, or by stopping by the front desk at the Fairfield Community Arts Center to pick up a passport. Then, families, couples and individuals can visit all of the Fairfield Parks listed on the passport and answer a question about each park. One helpful hint for participants: a lot of the answers are on signs found throughout each of the parks.
For example, one of the squares on the Passport to Parks grid highlights Founders Park at 756 Hicks Blvd. The passport question is: “The park was founded in celebration of what?”
For Fairfield Youth Playfields at 4920 River Road, the question is “How many soccer goals do you see?”
With Passport to Parks, there are 24 parks highlighted on the passport in green and blue squares. Each square lists the name of the park, address, and a question about the park with a line to fill in the answer on each square.
“We wanted to put together something to encourage families to get out into the parks, and see what we have to offer throughout Fairfield,” Sheldrick said. “This gives families an opportunity to participate in a fun event that they can fit into their own schedules.”
He said Passport to Parks will also help to educate residents about the diverse range of facilities and amenities that Fairfield Parks and Recreation offers.
“We are proud of the accessibility that Fairfield residents have to our parks. They are all over the city of Fairfield,” Sheldrick said.
A few of the popular parks on the Passport to Parks are Harbin Park, Gilbert Farms Park, Marsh Park Fishing Lake and Fairfield Dog Park.
There are also pocket parks and neighborhood parks like Lions Park, Oakwood Park, Grange Park and Woodcreek Park.
“With over 30 parks in the Fairfield Parks System, there are parks all over the place, and we really want residents to go out and explore them,” said Sheldrick.
The parks also feature a variety of amenities such as athletic fields, basketball courts, pickleball courts and walking trails.
Participants can return a completed passport to the front desk of the Fairfield Community Arts Center through Aug. 2 to be eligible for a prize drawing. The program is free and open to the public.
The first 20 families to turn in their completed passports at the Community Arts Center will also receive a small family prize.
Residents who turn in a completed passport by Aug. 2 will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Community Arts Center gift card that can be redeemed for classes and programs. (One completed form/passport per family/address. Participants must be a resident of Fairfield to win.)
Participants can have even more fun with Passport to Parks by taking pictures at each park. Residents are encouraged to send in fun pictures of their adventures, which may be shared on the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department’s Facebook page. Email photos to April Osborne at aosborne@fairfieldoh.gov with “Passport to Parks” in the subject line. This is the first year for the Passport to Parks program.
Find more information about the Passport to Parks program, and all of the other events and activities in Fairfield, go to fairfield-city.org.
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