New splash pad opens next week in Pierce County with rotating sprinklers, cabanas
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- Fife opens Colburn Park splash pad July 3 with sprinklers and cabana rentals.
- New park features include slip-resistant surfaces and all-day cabana options.
- City seeks sponsors to fund accessible playground construction by end of 2026.
A new splash pad at Colburn Park in Fife will be opening July 3 at 5 p.m. just in time for the heat of summer.
The splash pad will be open from 9 a.m. to dusk throughout the summer and has a variety of spray features and rotating sprinklers, in addition to an accessible, slip-resistant concrete surface, the city said in a news release.
Colburn Park, located at 5506 20th St. E., will also have new rentable cabanas for birthday parties and relaxing in the shade. Rentals are $75 for most of the day and accommodate up to 10 guests.
Phase one of the project (which included the building of the splash pad) cost about $2.7 million, said assistant city manager and parks/recreation/aquatics director Megan Jendrick. That included $1.47 million from the city of Fife, a $918,000 Washington Recreation Conservation Office grant and $308,000 in funding from the city’s lodging tax, Jendrick said.
Commemorative bricks are also available for sponsorship as part of an ongoing support campaign to develop Fife’s first accessible playground (phase two of the project) complete with ramps, inclusive swings, merry-go-rounds, musical instruments and improved parking. To begin construction in 2027, the city must fully fund the project by the end of 2026, according to its website.
Jendrick said the city needs to raise $2.2 million to design and construct the second phase of the park project. To date the city has received $500,000 from the Washington Recreation Conservation Office, $190,000 from the city’s lodging tax, $175,000 from the city of Fife, $170,000 in business donations and $4,500 from the buy a bench program, she said.
The city first broke ground on the spray pad project last October and these amenities were identified as residents’ most desired parks upgrades since 2015, Jendrick said.
This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
