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Covington reports strong 2024 parks and aquatics participation; Founders Park opens
Summary
City staff reported nearly 2,800 youth in seasonal sports and about 108,000 Aquatic Center visits in 2024, completed phase 1 of Founders Park and advanced the Jenkins Creek Master Plan toward a west entrance that will connect to the King County Regional Trail System.
A City of Covington Parks and Recreation staff member said the department recorded nearly 2,800 youth participants in its 2024 seasonal sports programs and nearly 108,000 visits to the Covington Aquatic Center during 2024.
"An active community is a healthy community," the staff member said, summarizing the department's annual participation figures and events calendar.
The speaker said the city's seasonal sports offerings for youth in 2024 included baseball, T-ball, soccer, basketball, volleyball and flag football. The department also listed year-round aquatics programming at the Covington Aquatic Center and a broad suite of recreation classes such as dance, gymnastics, art, cooking and astronomy.
City staff described several family-focused events held in 2024, including Friday night concerts and movies in the park, Covington Kids Fest, a sold-out Daddy Daughter Spring Queen event, Mother's Day Tiaras and Tea, a Superhero and Princess Meet and Greet, and the annual Tree Lighting Festival in December. Staff said the city hosted nine pop-up events during the summer of 2024 and two splash pad pop-ups.
The department activated the Town Center Lawn in 2024 for events such as the Chamber Maker's Market, a back-to-school night and a drive-in movie night, the staff member said.
Parks work in 2024 included completion of phase 1 and opening of Founders Park, located on Wax Road opposite the Town Center Lawn. Staff said phase 1 of the Jenkins Creek Master Plan is nearly complete and described planned west-entrance improvements including paved parking, restrooms, lighting, landscaping, trail markers and a pad intended for art displays. The master plan, staff said, was completed through grant funding.
The staff member said the completed Jenkins Creek trail will tie into the King County Regional Trail System and provide additional multimodal access into the city.
For a schedule of upcoming events and programming, the staff member directed residents to the city's events calendar on the municipal website. The department said it expects to incorporate many of the 2024 offerings into the 2025 lineup.
