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Parkland staff report rising event attendance and expand senior, youth and seasonal programs
Summary
City of Parkland Parks & Recreation staff reported growth in farmers market and seasonal events, previewed upcoming MLK and mayoral chess activities, and outlined expanded senior and teen program offerings for the winter and spring sessions.
Felicia Trainor, assistant director of Parks and Recreation, and special events coordinator Adele Trezino told the Parks & Recreation advisory board that community event attendance and sponsorship have climbed over the past season.
Trezino said the farmers market consistently saw higher vehicle-based attendance this year, giving examples such as a jump from 5,930 to 7,925 in one comparison and another market date rising from about 5,250 to 8,408. "We kicked off the farmer's market November 2 ... we've been really seeing amazing numbers," she said. She also reported that the Hayride & Bonfire increased from roughly 1,100 to 2,500 tickets after organizers raised ticket availability and that the farmers market now lists about 14 sponsors.
Trezino highlighted December events, saying Light Up the Park attendance rose from about 4,800 to 7,420 and that the program featured roughly 225 performers. She noted Snowfest ticket sales increased from about 700 to 900 and described a pet expo that drew families and specialty vendors.
The staff also previewed upcoming programming: an MLK commemoration with a youth choir and keynote speaker, a mayor chess challenge open to all ages, a cultural-awareness farmers market in February, a family fun fest and new specialty markets. "We are still looking for some more performers if you have any recommendations," Trezino said, urging community engagement and sponsorship participation.
Corey Keane, recreation coordinator, summarized program offerings for the winter session beginning Jan. 12, including kids' night out activities, teen theme classes (for example, "how to start your own business" and introductory photography) and new contractor-led offerings such as FM Tennis pickleball instruction. Keane said a new weekly "walkie talkies" outreach effort will invite commissioners and the mayor to speak with residents at Saturday sessions to boost engagement.
Keane and Lester Hudson, program specialist for athletics, described senior programming changes and fields/travel leagues. Keane said many senior fitness classes are offered at no charge to City of Parkland residents and that staff have increased online registration assistance to help older participants sign up remotely.
The advisory board sought clarification about how event attendance is calculated. Committee member (Speaker 1) asked whether Snowfest tickets were per family or per child; Trezino explained youth tickets were required for ages 2–18 in some activities and families often attended with additional household members who did not require tickets, which can make total people-counts exceed ticket counts.
The board did not take formal action on programming during the meeting; staff said they would continue outreach for performers and sponsors and return with updates at future meetings.
