Maranda - WKTV Journal

Just in time for the 80-degree weather, the City of Wyoming announced this morning that its splash pads will open today.

The splash pads are located at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St SW; Oriole Park, 1380 42nd St. SW; and Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson SW. They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.

The City of Wyoming’s splash pads are one of the many reasons that WOOD TV’s Maranada has kicked off her Park Parties at Wyoming’s Lamar Park for the past several years. According to Maranda, the park also offers excellent parking, wide open space with the park’s splash pad providing a place to help children and families cool off on hot summer days.

Maranda comes to Lamar Park on June 22. She will bring the Park Party to Kentwood July 13 at the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. The Wyoming and Kentwood events are the only Park Parties scheduled this year for the Greater Grand Rapids area with the rest being in Muskegon, Kalamazoo, and Holland.

Once again, in working with USDA, Michigan Dept. of Ed and local school districts, free lunch will be served to anyone 18 and under starting at 11:30 a.m., while supplies last at all Park Party events. Maranda’s Park Parties have been recognized by the USDA as one of the nation’s largest summer feeding programs.

Park Parties run from noon – 2 p.m. at the dates listed above. Every Park Party also includes free activities, games, entertainment and, prizes.

For more on the Maranda Park Parties, click here. For more about the splash pads and other City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation activities and events, visit wyoming.gov and click the “Living in Wyoming” tab.

Maranda (second from the right) and gang get ready to host the Maranda Park Parties, starting in Wyoming this Thursday.

You know its summer in West Michigan when WOOD TV’s Maranda kicks offer her Park Parties, which once again will start at Wyoming’s Lamar Park this Thursday, June 23.

“We are excited to kick-off the 2016 Park Party at Lamar Park in Wyoming,” said Maranda during a recent interview. “It’s a beautiful park and we love working with the city officials.”

For more than 15 years, Maranda has hosted the annual summer Park Parties event, which run for a couple of hours with all activities being free. This year, Maranda is scheduled to visit six communities, two of which are Wyoming and Kentwood about a month later on July 21. Activities run from noon to 2 p.m. with a free lunch starting at 11:30 a.m. available while supplies last to anyone 18 and younger.

For the past several years, the annual summer event has kicked off at Wyoming’s Lamar Park, 2561 Porter Ave. SW. According to Maranda, the park offers excellent parking, wide open space and the Splash Pad, which helps children and families cool off on hot summer days.

“The community is so supportive,” Maranda said. “We have record crowds each year and the city officials are amazing to work with. The convenient location and warm hospitality keeps us coming back year after year.”

There are a number of contests associated with the event with area children being able to pick activities that will be taking place. At the Wyoming June 23 event, the activity picked was a Zip Line. Also at the Wyoming event, will be the popular Super Slide and a 3D Climbing Wall.

At the Kentwood July 21 event, there was a tie for activities. so both the Zip Line and the Extreme Obstacle Course will be offered along with the Ferris Wheel and the 3D Climbing Wall. The Kentwood event takes place at East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave SE.

The Wyoming and Kentwood Maranda Park Parties are the only ones for the Greater Grand Rapids area. The other parties are June 30 at Muskegon’s Smith Ryerson Park; July 7 at Kalamazoo’s Upjohn Park; July 14 at Holland’s Kollen Park and wrapping it up is July 28 at Battle Creek’s Northwestern Middle School.

For more information about the Maranda Park Parties, click here.