Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department

09/25/2026

Will we see you Saturday? Join us at Will Rogers Gardens for the 2026 Garden Party with Friends! 💚 Not to brag, but there will be alpacas. Details about this free event here: https://ow.ly/3w0W50ZLUwz

09/23/2026

09/22/2026

We were so honored to cut the ribbon today with Councilman Camal Pennington at the new Edwards Park Football Complex! The $4.5 million project included four new irrigated, lighted football fields. 💚 Today we were also grateful to be joined by descendants of Walter Edwards, members of the Oklahoma City Parks Commission, neighbors, and community groups.

09/22/2026

It finally feels like fall! Fall Break is right around the corner, and we have camps across the city. Find one here: https://ow.ly/ccKH50ZPThs

09/18/2026

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Every decade or so, we have an opportunity as a city through our bond issue votes to invest in our system of 105 neighborhood parks. Historically, those bond issues have been the only mechanism we have had. And even that option has not always been available to us, because for decades prior to our modern renaissance, the voters had a history of defeating bond issues for parks.

Having said that, even when our city was successfully able to pass bond issues for parks, the reality is that the resources are still quite finite. We could typically only include upgrades to items in parks that were truly in desperate need. It basically had to be falling apart to make the list.

In 2018, I was simultaneously running for mayor and imagining what projects could end up in MAPS 4. I recall driving by a neighborhood park in far Northeast OKC and observing a swing set that looked to be decades old. It looked functional, but it was not very enticing. I thought to myself that the conditions in a park like that were probably not considered dire enough to make the cut for a bond issue, but the park was still falling far short of its potential.

It occurred to me that just a few hundred thousand dollars could make a huge difference to a neighborhood park like that. I remember thinking that if I could include all of our 105 neighborhood parks in MAPS 4, that we could probably provide those resources that most of our parks would otherwise never receive.

And so we did. In 2019, we included $70 million in MAPS 4 just to fund a wish list of improvements to all of our city’s 105 neighborhood parks. This provided an opportunity to unleash the power of MAPS all across the city and in our neighborhoods. MAPS 4 received 72% approval, the highest level of support for a sales tax in modern OKC history.

Now, in 2026, these parks projects are starting to roll out. Below are some summaries of the parks improvements that have recently received final approval from Council, with a specific example of one park to illustrate the kinds of improvements that are coming to all of our neighborhood parks. And what you see below is just the first wave. There are five phases going all the way to 2030.

MAPS is about transformational improvements to our quality of life. And after MAPS 4, our city’s neighborhood parks will be transformed.

09/18/2026

Come learn how to dry flowers! Our demonstration-style workshop is perfect for anyone curious about working with dried botanicals. You'll leave with plenty of ideas for creating your own long-lasting floral pieces at home! Sign up here: https://ow.ly/byub50ZOoz0

09/16/2026

It's almost time! ✂️ We cut the ribbon at Edwards Park on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and we're so excited about the improvements here. Read more: https://ow.ly/nCeO50ZNWJx

09/15/2026

Bad news: it's still hot. 🥵

Good news: spraygrounds are open through Sept. 27! 🥳

Find one close to you at okc.gov/spraygrounds.

09/13/2026

It's almost time for one of our favorite events of the year: Garden Party With Friends! This free celebration will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, September 26 at Will Rogers Gardens. Stroll through lively booths featuring monarch migration insights and pollinator‑friendly gardening tips, shop a plant sale, meet charming alpacas, and enjoy delicious offerings from local food trucks. It's the perfect garden gathering for families, friends, and supporters alike!