Sacramento, California – Two long-planned neighborhood parks are finally ready to welcome families, turning years of drawings and development plans into places where children can play and neighbors can gather.
Councilmember Lisa Kaplan is inviting residents to mark the moment next Friday during a grand opening celebration in Sacramento’s Northlake development. The one-hour event will offer the community an early opportunity to explore the new spaces and recognize the work required to bring them across the finish line.
The celebration will take place Friday, July 31, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Sunhaven Park, located at 3624 Kona Kai Way. Light refreshments will be served, and residents are encouraged to join Kaplan and members of #TeamKaplan for the occasion.
The event will celebrate the opening of two parks within the Northlake development. Their arrival represents the completion of projects that were included in the Northlake Master Plan years before Kaplan took office.
“It is exciting to see these parks finally open after having been part of the Northlake Master Plan for many years before me,” Kaplan said in announcing the event.
Parks included in large development plans can take years to move from an idea on paper to a finished public space. Planning, construction and coordination must all come together before residents can begin using the land. For the Northlake community, the July 31 gathering will provide a visible milestone after that long process.
Kaplan also thanked employees with Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment, commonly known as YPCE, for helping complete the projects.
“A big thank you to our YPCE – City of Sacramento staff for their hard work and for seeing this through,” she said.
The department supports Sacramento’s parks, recreation facilities, programs and community spaces. Its role in the Northlake projects helped turn the goals outlined in the master plan into parks that can now serve the growing neighborhood.
The grand opening is designed as a community celebration rather than a lengthy formal program. Residents can stop by after work, see the new park setting and meet others from the surrounding area.
Kaplan said she is looking forward to welcoming the public. Once the celebration ends, the larger story will begin as the two parks become part of everyday life in Northlake, hosting playtime, walks, conversations and future neighborhood gatherings.