When the sun goes down this Saturday, a new kind of nightlife is sparking up in Farmers Branch with the grand opening of Joya, a glow-in-the-dark park designed for both nocturnal fun and beating the Texas heat. Located at Oran Good Park, the 18,000-square-foot playground will welcome families to bask in luminescent leisure starting at 6 p.m., as reported by FOX 4 News.
Why settle for your plain old swing and zip when you can have them bejeweled with LED lights? Joya, which translates to "jewel" in Spanish, is set to cast a radiant sheen over its six play areas, which include more than just swings, and a zip-line — there's a spin zone, an obstacle course, and a statement-making 27-foot sphere. "In Texas, the heat can be pretty unforgiving at times. And as a parent of three myself, it was a challenge to kind of do stuff in the evening that didn't cost a ton of money. So this was as recreation shifts toward evening play anyway nationwide this sorta made sense," Farmers Branch Deputy City Manager Michael Mashburn said, as per FOX 4 News.
The funds for this illuminated gem came from the deep pockets of the Federal American Rescue Plan Act to the tune of $4 million, topped off with a sparkling $750,000 grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Construction kicked off in June 2023 following the city's approval in November 2021, as the playground now gears up for its shiny debut.
Open to the public, the park also promises to serve as a hub for family-friendly events, arts, and cultural happenings, according to KDAF. Not just a one-night affair, Joya is fit for frolic from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. including, scheduled event days that are sure to glow up any family's calendar. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is set to ignite at 6:30 p.m., post which the park will remain open for play until 10 p.m., and it's all free — because the best things in life, and Farmers Branch are.
With the city's leaders, including Mayor Terry Lynne, in attendance for the Saturday spectacular, Joya is ready to shine as the "crown jewel of playgrounds," a dazzling addition to the Farmers Branch community that invites kids and parents alike to play well past sunset, as the city awaits to witness its new nocturnal landmark flicker to life.
