PRESS RELEASE – The Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, today officially announced the team’s plans for a brand-new 3,000-square-foot lazy river, highlighting a 12,000-square-foot outfield party and group hospitality area that will serve as the signature visual element at Dr Pepper Ballpark for years to come. The new area, which will be sponsored by Choctaw Casinos of Oklahoma and called the Choctaw Lazy River, will be completed by early June 2016.
Rising above the right-field wall, the Choctaw Lazy River will provide one of the most unique viewing and entertainment experiences in all of professional sports. At a consistent depth of 3 feet, the gently-flowing river will span nearly 175 feet from end to end-longer than an Olympic-size swimming pool and nearly the length of a regulation National Hockey League ice rink.
A person swimming or wading one full lap around the river’s two distinct middle islands will travel over 400 feet, the same distance from home plate to the center field wall at Dr Pepper Ballpark. 113 linear-feet of recycled water will cascade over an infinity edge to create two fantastic 8-foot waterfalls that will drop into a beautiful reservoir behind the outfield wall.
Filled with 68,023 gallons of water, the Choctaw Lazy River will have nine times more swimming area than each of the end zone pools at EverBank Field in Jacksonville (home of the Jaguars), and will be eight times larger than the Arizona Diamondbacks’ famous outfield pool at Chase Field, which contains a mere 8,500 gallons by comparison. The RoughRiders’ water volume is so vast that it would take 1,267,973 baseballs and 1,088,368 cups of nacho cheese to fill.
“Our new Choctaw Lazy River at Dr Pepper Ballpark will be unlike any other water feature, party deck, or hospitality area in all of professional sports because of its size, unique design, and the incomparable experience fans will be able to enjoy on gamedays and for non-gameday pool parties and other special events,” said RoughRiders General Partner & CEO Chuck Greenberg. “From our earliest discussions with our architects and designers, the number one goal of this project was to carefully create a destination within the ballpark that will serve as a visual ‘wow-factor’ so incredible that even fans who aren’t directly in the lazy river can enjoy its beauty from all around the ballpark. We can’t wait to unveil this unique, one-of-a-kind ballpark attraction to fans from across the entire DFW region and beyond.”
The new area will also include a number of additional fan amenities, highlighted by two open-air cabana structures for food and beverage service. The larger of the two-called the Cabana Bar & Patio-can be rented separately and will feature a built-in bar, dedicated buffet tables and private deck space. A resort-style wood deck will flank the area near the larger cabana, and additional public space for lounging and picnicking will surround the water. A pair of 23-foot tall water structures will drop 18-foot tall by 20-foot wide rain curtains, providing a massive water feature to further immerse fans in the aquatic environment.
The Choctaw Lazy River will be the most all-inclusive gameday hospitality experience in the entire DFW market. Larger groups of at least 200 are eligible to reserve the entire 12,000 square foot area, including private use of Lazy River and Cabana Bar & Patio, six days a week (except Thursdays). Groups of at least 50 people can reserve access to the Choctaw Lazy River six days a week, based on availability. Smaller gatherings of at least 25 are invited to enjoy the area for their party on Monday thru Wednesday dates (excluding holidays).
No matter the size of the group, all Choctaw Lazy River guests will enjoy full 360-degree river access, a 2 1/2 hour all-you-can-eat buffet, complimentary Dr Pepper products, and a pair of RoughRiders’ sunglasses. Beer and wine is included for groups that purchase either the Cabana Bar & Patio or the entire area. To book a Choctaw Lazy River group, contact the RoughRiders front office at (972) 731-9200 or info@ridersbaseball.com.
Singles and millennials alike won’t want to miss Thursdays at Dr Pepper Ballpark with the creation of the new “Thursday Night Pool Party” ticket. For only $39 per ticket, individuals can enjoy full 360-degree Lazy River access, pre-game live music and all-you-can-eat hot dogs, brats, chips, peanuts, and Dr Pepper products. Plus, each Thursday is “Thirsty Thursday,” offering $1 select domestic drafts and $2 craft beers from 6-8 p.m. for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Thursday Night Pool Party tickets will go on sale along with all single-game tickets for the upcoming 2016 season on Monday, March 14 at 9 a.m.
When preliminary plans for the project were first revealed by the Dallas Morning News in January, it made a major splash among local, regional, and national media outlets. Fox Sports said that the new project would be competition to the Arizona Diamondbacks in “in-stadium aquatic activities,” while the NY Daily News took it a step further, saying “and the Arizona Diamondbacks thought their pool at Chase Field was cool.” Yahoo!’s Big League Stew suggested that “the only thing more appealing than watching baseball in the summer is watching baseball in the summer while floating on a lazy river with a drink in hand.”
Gold Medal Pools, located in Frisco, is the general contractor for the project, and construction is currently underway. The previous Outfield Pool Pavilion and other former hospitality areas beyond the right-field wall will be completely replaced. The project is being funded privately by RoughRiders ownership, with a portion of cost to be reimbursed by the Frisco Community Development Corporation (CDC). The total project cost will be in excess of $1.5 million.
The RoughRiders will open their 2016 home schedule at Dr Pepper Ballpark on Thursday, April 14 and host 70 home dates through Labor Day, September 5. Season ticket packages and group and hospitality offerings for the RoughRiders 2016 season can be reserved by calling (972) 731-9200 or emailing info@ridersbaseball.com. Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public in March.
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