*Note: This event has been postponed to February 24th due to weather.
We learned all the way back in 2019 that the PrairiePlay playground at Meadowbrook Park was set to be replaced, and I think many of us who either grew up here or have raised/are raising families here felt a pang of sadness. I sure did! Here’s what I wrote about it then:
I think we can all take a moment to feel some feelings about that. When my kids were little, they referred to Meadowbrook as “the brown park” because of that play structure. It’s remained a beacon of old school playground nostalgia in a sea of brightly colored shiny and snazzy structures. It has nooks and crannies and metal slides and it’s like playing in the kind of fort you envisioned you were building in your living room out of chairs and boxes and blankets.
Alas, the structure is difficult to maintain, and it’s not accessible to all children. And I believe we can champion progress, while also mourning that bit of nostalgia.
Urbana Park District is hosting a final PrairiePlay play date on February 17th from 1 to 2 p.m. to bring people together to say goodbye. They will have hot chocolate and the Urvana van there with games and activities. The playground will officially close on March 1st.
Do you have a paver at Meadowbrook? You can retrieve it before the playground is torn down. There are instructions on the Urbana Park District website.
You can see the new planned playground at the Urbana Parks Foundation website.