Now that spring is in full swing, it’s time to get back outside.
Here’s a guide to some of the nearly 250 parks in New Castle County, and what you can expect to see as the weather gets warmer.
Parks by the numbers
Demand for parks in the county has drastically risen in the past few years, which could be tied to the pandemic-driven quarantine and the recent shifts to working from home. Trail counters on the Jack Markell trail showed double the visitation since before the pandemic started.
Increased demand leads to increased demands. According to New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, his inbox has been full of requests from die-hard pickleball players for more courts in the county. Other popular requests include reinvesting in the current infrastructure and maintenance of fields and amenities.
An interactive map listing the different trails, pathways and park amenities in the county can be found here. Interactive maps are also available for Wilmington and Newark.
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There are currently 250 parks in the county, totaling around 6,120 acres of land. Here’s a look at the county’s current park amenities.
- Pavilions and picnic shelters: 35
- Playgrounds: 150
- Basketball courts: 95
- Football fields: 5
- Soccer fields: 25 (plus 1 synthetic turf field)
- Tennis courts: 58
- Pickleball courts: 8 (20 additional courts double lined for tennis and pickleball)
The New Castle County Parks Department employs 66 full-time staffers. The department’s operating budget as of the 2023 fiscal year was $9.1 million, and its capital budget was around $8.6 million.
New parks and amenities
A couple of new parks are in the works for New Castle County
Middletown will be the home to New Castle County’s first park south of the canal. It is currently under construction and “phase one” is estimated by parks manager Kendall Sommers to be completed by late July. It will include a large playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, pickleball courts, a multi-purpose grass field and a paved walking path.
Newark‘s parks and recreation department is developing a new park off Old Paper Mill Road. The park is currently in design stages, with proposed pickleball courts, playground and multi-use grass field.
According to Jim Spadafino, director of Newark’s Parks and Recreation department, cost estimates still need to be completed. The project has received an influx of $1.4 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, but a finalized number will be expected around June for Newark City Council to approve. From then, the department hopes to begin construction this fall or next spring.
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In addition to the construction of new parks, a number of existing parks in the country have already or will be receiving upgrades this spring and summer.
Playgrounds have been replaced at Weiss Park in Bear and Wood Creek Park in Mill Creek; they have also been added to Garfield Park in New Castle and Willow Run Park near Elsmere.
Delcastle Park, the second-largest park in the county, will soon undergo a major revamp of its heavily used facilities. According to Meyers and parks manager Kendall Sommers, the park’s playgrounds will soon be replaced and its walking path has already been replaced for use. It is expected that more funding will go towards renovations of this park.
Newport’s Banning Park has already received a new synthetic turf field, the first of its kind in the county, replacing the grass fields that had been torn up from the high usage. Playground equipment is also set to be replaced here in the coming months.
Meyer revealed that the county plans on unveiling 24 new pickleball courts throughout the county with a proposed $26 million going into county-wide sports and recreation. He proposed an additional $25 million for new and upgraded bike paths throughout the county during his FY24 budget address.
There’s a parks request email, parksrequest@newcastlde.gov, that can be used by the general public to send requests for park upkeep or improvements. The parks department can also be reached via its website.
Hidden gems
Looking to get out of the house but want to avoid the crowds? Meyer and Sommers spoke on what the most underrated and underused parts of the county’s park system are.
Carousel Park, located in Pike Creek, has some of the most amenities out of any park in the county. From horseback riding to fishing, over 200 acres of spacious land are available for the general public to use. While it’s commonly known to residents near the Wilmington area, its space is still relatively underutilized.
According to Sommers, Rockwood Park is another “unrecognized jewel” in the county’s park system. It’s home to the Rockwood Park Museum, which has been standing since the mid 1800s. The 72-acre site is home to gardens, urban wildlife habitat and paved trails linking to the Northern Delaware Greenway – all free and open daily. It’s also been rumored that ghosts are present in the museum, so visit with caution!
Gallery:An afternoon romp at Rockford Dog Park in Wilmington
Sommers also mentions that parks can be used for personal events for families and friends.
“We have plenty of pavilions where people can permit them out to have family reunions, birthday parties or baby showers,” Sommers said. “I don’t think people think of parks as an option for that kind of stuff but we host a number of those things throughout the spring and summer season.”
Upcoming events
Most events hosted by the Parks Department are held in the late spring and early summer. For a full list of the events being held, check out this link.
Farmers’ markets will open up at the Bellevue Community Center in Claymont, Glasgow Park in Bear and Carousel Park in Pike Creek starting May 4 and running continuously through October 27. A new produce stand will open this year at the Readers Cafe in the Route 9 Library.
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The summer concert series at Glasgow Park takes place roughly every two weeks starting June 8 featuring performances from local live musical entertainment free of charge. The current dates for the concert series are June 8 and 22, July 20, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 31 and Sept. 14.
One of the most popular parks events of last year was the Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park. Dubbed as a “celebration of the history of New Castle County”, the festival hosts various vendors, performers, live music, fireworks and, of course, ice cream. The event will be held on Saturday, June 24 from 1 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. This event has proven to be a favorite, as over 15,000 residents showed up last year.
It may be too early to be thinking about fall activities, but in case the mystical is calling your name, make sure to mark your calendars for Rockwood Park’s Faerie Fest on September 17. Kids and adults alike are invited to dress up in their faerie-best and enjoy live performances, crafts and games. The event was attended by over 3,000 people last year, and will be help from noon until 4:00.
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Contact Molly McVety at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.
