CANON CITY — Cooling off in Canon City just got a lot easier.
The Splash Pad at Centennial Park is set to reopen this Thursday after its usual Memorial Day opening was postponed due to COVID-19.
Normally, the Splash Pad is packed with kids and parents, but to keep up with social distancing only 35 people will be allowed on the Splash Pad at a time.
Skipp Cavalier said, "I think it's a good, good start."
With not a lot of places to cool off in Westcliffe, Cavalier and his family venture to Canon City every summer to enjoy the Splash Pad.
He said, "We depended on a place like this to be open and have fun."
They're especially dependent on it for their six-year-old daughter.
He said, "It's been a little bit hard."
For Charmin Heimel and her daughter there are "not a whole lot of options with any water things to do," said Heimel. While the river is nearby she shared that "you just feel a lot safer with your kid running around the Splash Pad than in the river."
Come this Thursday - that's exactly what kids will finally be able to do after weeks of waiting.
Ryan Stevens, city administrator for the City of Canon City, said, "The Splash Pad will open with a reservation system. People can go to canoncity.org and there will be a banner for people to make those reservations."
A reservation can be made up to two weeks in advance.
Stevens said, "They'll be able to book those reservations for 45-minute blocks."
As for safety and social distancing Stevens said, "We're going to have some fencing or barricades that will be around the Splash Pad and then we also hired some Splash Pad attendants...the Splash Pad attendants will have 15 minutes between reservations to come and do sanitizing activities."
Parents like Heimel shared that they support the reopening plan, but that they still want people to be smart.
Heimel said, "It's everyone's, every person's personal responsibility too to try to take that social distancing and washing your hands, and being responsible."
Something else to think about - adults should book a spot for not only their kids, but also for themselves if they have younger children that might need help around the Splash Pad.
