The much-anticipated splash pad at Crandall Park in Glens Falls will open to the public on Saturday, June 5, at 9 a.m. and will be open on weekends initially, before moving to daily use from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from June 26 and extending throughout the summer.
This adds to the many recreation opportunities in Glens Falls at Crandall Park, which include a disc golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, basketball courts, walking trails, a playground, picnic area, pavilion, chess tables, outdoor exercise equipment, bandshell, and baseball/softball fields. In the wintertime, the park offers Nordic ski trails, a sledding hill, and snowshoeing, as well.
The Crandall Park Beautification Committee and the City of Glens Falls will celebrate the opening in a brief ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 4, at the splash pad. Beautification Committee President Elizabeth Little Hogan said the ceremony will recognize the many organizations and individuals who helped make the splash pad possible, especially the Charles R. Wood Foundation.
Click here to view a video of the splash pad being installed.
The Foundation, named for local entrepreneur Charles R. Wood, founder of the Great Escape Amusement Park, provided the bulk of the funding through a $30,000 grant and an additional $20,000 matching grant. Individuals in the community donated the $20,000 necessary to receive the matching grant.
Elizabeth said a CPBC subcommittee led by Dr. Erika Schielke worked for two years planning the splash pad and had the support of the city throughout.
“The enthusiastic support and cooperation of Mayor Dan Hall and DPW Superintendent Tom Girard were crucial to bringing this attraction to the park,” she said. Glens Falls DPW and Jim Girard Landscaping were instrumental in bringing water to the site and Jointa Galusha, a DA Collins company, donated concrete for the pad, Elizabeth added.
She also lauded BradManz Landscaping for its work in creating the 35-foot pad using Parkitects equipment.
“There has been a tremendous amount of excitement about this project from the beginning,” said Elizabeth, “and the incredible generosity of this community has made it possible. We are thrilled with the result and delighted to be able to open it so that the community can now enjoy it. It’s going to bring a lot of joy to a lot of local children.”
The splash pad’s operating hours will coincide with the hours of the Crandall Park fieldhouse. The splash pad is located directly behind the fieldhouse, adjacent to the park’s playground.
