Enjoying local parks safely during the pandemic

Community members are asked to continue following CDC guidelines as they take advantage of nearby parks

FARGO & WEST FARGO, N.D. — For Avi McGregor, living next to Island Park makes getting fresh air that much easier.

“It feels awesome to get outdoors, even when it’s raining out here,” she says.

Warmer weather and sunny days are hopefully around the corner, but visiting a local park may feel a bit different.

“I understand the social distancing part of it, you know, just keeping your distance away from everybody,” says McGregor.

A game of pickup basketball with friends or taking the kids to the playground are off the table.

“Unfortunately, due to the virus and how it sits on surfaces, we have had to close down our playgrounds and our outdoor fitness equipment,” says Katie Ettish with the West Fargo Park District.

Parks, trails, and green spaces can be used while staying away from others.

“The biggest precaution out there is just keep your distance,” says Fargo Park District Executive Director Dave Leker. “And then, of course, be healthy. We don’t want anyone going out and using our parks if they have any symptoms.”

As for public pools, those with the parks departments are optimistic they’ll open as scheduled.

“We hope we can because what’s a summer without a pool, right? Especially in Fargo and West Fargo,” says Ettish. “So we need that to look forward to, right?”

Parents can also look forward to getting their kids on a baseball, t-ball or another sports team.

Registration for summer programs is still open.

“Of course, there’s going to be certain protocols you’re going to need that we need to use, with spacing and whether parents come out to watch games, we want to make sure they’re separated by a good distance,” adds Leker.

If the season does get cancelled, refunds will be given as needed.

The hope is that that won’t be necessary.

Leker says, “We’ll get those things moving, and I think we’re still going to have a very good summer here in the upper midwest.”

Find summer programs registration information here: www.wfparks.org, www.fargoparks.com.