HARRISONBURG, VA (City of Harrisonburg) – One of the most anticipated new recreation projects in Harrisonburg is getting ready to move forward, and The Friendly City is invited to come celebrate.

A ground-breaking ceremony for the Ralph Sampson Park Spraygrounds project will be held on Wednesday, October 9, at 9 a.m. at the site of the future play area beside the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center, 620 Simms Avenue. Attendees will be able to learn more about the project from Harrisonburg Parks & Rec staff and see renderings of the new amenity. Community members attending should park in the Simms Center parking lot.

The spraygrounds, at approximately 6,000 square feet in size, will include 36 spray features spread across zones tailored for toddlers, teens and families. Interactive elements will allow children to enjoy different experiences across the park, with water spraying up from the ground, dropping out of elevated sprayers and even jetting out of features children can move around themselves. The project will include a number of other amenities for families, such as shelters and seating areas, restrooms and green space for picnics and other activities. Designs for the spraygrounds are based on community input gained at a series of public meetings held this spring.

“The Ralph Sampson Park Spraygrounds is unlike anything we have in the area, and it’s going to quickly become a gathering place for people across our community,” Harrisonburg Parks & Rec Director Brian Mancini said. “We at Harrisonburg Parks & Rec are so grateful that we are able to bring projects like this to our community, and we can’t wait to see our local families enjoying this incredible amenity.”

The spraygrounds is one of nearly two dozen American Rescue Plan Act-funded projects – including six Parks & Rec efforts approved by Harrisonburg City Council in December 2022. Other recreation-related projects that are either upcoming or completed include a new and improved Kids Castle Playground at Purcell Park, adding lights and restrooms to the Smithland Athletic Complex, improvements to allow for an adult athletic field at Thomas Harrison Middle School and replacement of the Westover Park Skatepark