SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Brackenridge Park holds a special place in the hearts of San Antonians. For many, it\u2019s far more than a city park \u2014 it\u2019s a destination, a place to make memories and a backdrop to a lifetime of experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love Brackenridge,\u201d said Laura DeLaFuente, a park visitor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought my kids and now my grandkids,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
That generational connection is exactly what the Brackenridge Park Conservancy works to protect. Through fundraising, advocacy and community partnerships, the organization keeps the park vibrant and accessible for all.<\/p>\n
A 2-acre nature playscape is coming<\/p>\n
Each year, the Texas Cavaliers select a local organization as their charitable honoree \u2014 and this year, the entire city stands to benefit.<\/p>\n
The Brackenridge Park Conservancy has been named the 2026 honoree, a partnership aimed at keeping one of San Antonio\u2019s most beloved green spaces thriving for generations to come.<\/p>\n
The centerpiece of the Cavaliers\u2019 investment is an ambitious new project \u2014 a two-acre nature-inspired playscape set to break ground after Fiesta, with an expected completion of roughly 12 months later.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re building a two-acre nature-inspired playscape, and the nature inspiration is really coming from Brackenridge Park itself,\u201d said Chris Maitre, chief executive officer of the Brackenridge Park Conservancy.<\/p>\n
The playscape will celebrate 11 different elements of the park.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re celebrating 11 different elements of the park \u2014 the forest, we\u2019re going to have places where kids climb a tree house, mix in the water,\u201d Maitre said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have recreations \u2014 an upwelling of the Blue Hole, which is iconic because it really is where the San Antonio River got started. We\u2019ve got an indigenous campground, an archaeology dig site, and a host of other spaces in this two-acre site that will make it a destination playground.\u201d<\/p>\n
Families will even have the opportunity to leave their own permanent mark on the space.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re asking people to do is buy a brick to memorialize their family, their loved ones in the nature playscape \u2014 which will be iconic,\u201d Maitre said. \u201cSo this brick will be there every time they bring their kids and future grandkids to the site.\u201d<\/p>\n
6 generations, 1 park<\/p>\n
For Leticia Van de Putte, vice chair of the Brackenridge Park Conservancy Board, the park is personal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI give thanks that we have Brackenridge Park,\u201d she said. \u201cSix generations of my family have enjoyed this park, and our family is not very different from many of San Antonio\u2019s families that hold this park so dear to their hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van de Putte, a longtime public servant, has no shortage of memories tied to the park \u2014 including a few she\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first kiss was actually here at this park,\u201d she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
Others are a little more dramatic. When she was about 5 years old, a picnic near Lambert Beach took an unexpected turn.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur family was picnicking near Lambert Beach \u2014 I was about 5 years old and apparently jumped in the water because I was trying to get to the ducks,\u201d she recalled. \u201cMy grandpa had to rescue me, and the joke in the family is Leticia just always wants to jump in the river at Brackenridge Park.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inclusive, accessible, welcoming<\/p>\n
For decades, families have camped out at Brackenridge for Easter weekend \u2014 a tradition rooted in accessibility and community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was so important because it was free, it was safe, it was always welcoming and it was well kept,\u201d Van de Putte said. \u201cYou knew that if you were coming to Brackenridge as a Hispanic family, no one was going to make fun or shove you off.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new playscape will continue that tradition of inclusion, designed to accommodate those with disabilities and mobility challenges.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, there\u2019s still plenty of reason to visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to see all the animals, get a little bit of nature while we\u2019re here in the city \u2014 that\u2019s a little bit of what we get to enjoy, and be a part of what makes the city special,\u201d said one park visitor.<\/p>\n
They are expected to break ground on the project in May, and it will take a full year of construction. <\/p>\n
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