Grand Prairie officials canceled a private Eid al-Adha celebration scheduled for June 1 at the city-owned Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark after Governor Greg Abbott threatened to withhold more than $530,000 in state public safety grants.<\/p>\n
The event, known as DFW Epic Eid, was organized by a local Muslim community group<\/a> as a private full-park rental for families celebrating the Islamic holiday. It marked the third year the group had reserved the facility, which opened in 2017 and is funded in part by a voter-approved sales tax. Early promotional materials described the gathering as \u201cMuslims only\u201d with a modest dress code and dedicated prayer space; organizers later revised the language to say \u201call are welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n On May 6, Abbott\u2019s office sent a letter to Mayor Ron Jensen warning that the city-owned facility could not host the event as planned. The governor stated the advertised restrictions amounted to religious discrimination<\/a> and violated state and federal civil-rights laws. He gave the city until May 11 to cancel the event and commit to preventing similar gatherings in the future or risk losing the grants and facing repayment demands.<\/p>\n A city-owned water park in Grand Prairie openly advertised a “MUSLIMS ONLY” event — closed to the general public.<\/p>\n That’s religious discrimination. It’s unconstitutional. I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim only no-go zones in Texas.<\/p>\n The City must cancel the event and\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/W9NY9PAAjE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 6, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n That same evening, Grand Prairie announced the cancellation<\/a>. In an official statement, the city said, \u201cAfter further review and in the best interest of the City of Grand Prairie, the June 1 EID event at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark has been canceled.\u201d<\/p>\n The move comes amid public debate over private rentals at taxpayer-funded facilities and how they balance community needs with nondiscrimination rules. No injuries or other incidents were reported in connection with the event or its cancellation.<\/p>\n LISTEN<\/a> on the Audacy App
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