Our Special Harbor To Open This Weekend

Now it’s really easy to have fun and beat the heat at Our Special Harbor sprayground in Franconia, Virginia opening this weekend.  Operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority, the sprayground is located in the Family Recreation Area at Lee District Park, at the intersection of Rose Hill and Telegraph Roads.  The zero-water-depth sprayground carries the theme of the Chesapeake Bay throughout the interactive water features and is fully-accessible for children of ALL abilities. Play in the water maze, watch out for the water-dumping crab basket, or board the custom skipjack and crab boat! 

Our Special Harbor was built by the Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund (JPMF), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children with disabilities and their families. The project has been funded largely through the Fairfax County Park Foundation and JPMF’s grassroots fundraising efforts.  A $250,000 matching grant was provided by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.  Board funds are available under the federal Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act.

Opening ceremonies take place Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 3 p.m. The sprayground opens to the public Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. and from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. this Sunday.  Our Special Harbor will open on Memorial Day weekend and open each Saturday and Sunday until Fairfax County Public Schools dismiss for the summer.  The hours of operation are daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. except on Wednesdays when the sprayground will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Contact the Lee District RECenter at 703-922-9841 for more information or visit us online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/rec/leerec.htm

Admission is free; however there is a daily fee of $3 for each participant and chaperone for commercial or nonprofit groups (including day care centers, martial arts camps, YMCA, church groups, etc.).  This fee does not apply to families.  Space is limited for commercial/nonprofit groups; reservations can be made online, by fax and in-person through the Manager on Duty at Lee District RECenter prior to their visit.

Summer 2011 Operating Hours
Dates                                                                           Hours
May 28^th & 29^th                                                           11 – 7 p.m.
May 30 (Memorial Day)                                              11 – 7 p.m.
June 4^th & 5^th, 11^th & 12^th, 18^th & 19^th                         11 – 7 p.m.

June 20^th – September 5th                                           11 – 7 p.m.^*

^* Wednesday’s hours of operations are 11-5 p.m.