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    Jaco Pastorius Park

    4.3 (15 reviews)

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    Robert S.

    Jaco Pastorius Park is home to many of Oakland Park's signature events such as the annual Oktoberfest celebration, Polynesian Cultural Festival, Holiday Village, Culinary Arts Showcase series, Moonlit Movie and the Urban Farm Institute. The public promenade at the Oakland Park Main Street entrance to Jaco Pastorius Park features an arched fountain creating a "walk under water" experience and illuminated with colorful lights at night. About Jaco Pastorius III - In 2007, the City named its new downtown park in honor of former Oakland Park resident Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987). John Francis Pastorius III ("Jaco") is known amongst many in the music industry as the "The World's Greatest Bass Player." His tremendous skill on the bass guitar was matched only by his skill as a composer. Jaco grew up in Oakland Park and attended Northeast High School.His innovative techniques and challenging compositions forever changed the landscape of jazz and rock music. Jaco taught the bass guitar as an adjunct instructor in the University of Miami's Jazz Department. In 1974, Jaco began playing with his friend and later famous jazz guitarist, Pat Metheny. Jaco's first album, produced by Columbia Records, entitled "Jaco Pastorius" (1976) was a breakthrough album for the electric bass. One of the buildings has a larger than life wall mural with Jaco's full size picture for all to admire and see. The events here are usually free and security checks everyone on the way IN. Usually they don't allow water or any other liquids to enter the premises when events are taking place.

    Ariel W.

    Jaco Pastorius Park takes it's name from a famous jazz musician who grew up in Oakland Park. He performed with jazz greats Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock, toured with Joni Mitchell and won two Grammy nominations for his debut album in 1977. Sadly he suffered from bi polar disorder and ended up homeless on the streets of Ft. Lauderdale. In died in September 1987 after trying to get into a night club in Wilton Manors. He was beaten by a bouncers and succumed to his injuries 9 days later. In 2005 Oakland park resident Robert Rutherford started a petition to name the 7 acre swath of land next to the railroad tracks after his musical hero. Many music performances including jazz are performed at the park. The park is a large swath of green space that the city of Oakland Park uses for staging city events and festivals. One of the most popular events of the year is Oktoberfest. The next event to be held here will be the Annual Polynesian Cultural Festival on February 23rd. People also take their dogs to play here. There is a walking trail around the perimeter of the park for people wanting to exercise. Located at the end of the park is a community center with two large murals of Jaco Pastorius painted on the side. The murals were completed in 2010 by artist Bill Savarese. The 2,325 foot space hall can be divided into smaller spaces and rented by residents of Oakland Park. The community center includes bathrooms and a kitchen. The hall can hold 250 people and includes tables and banquet chairs. This meticulously kept passive park is a wonderful place to listen to music, attend a festival, or hold an event. Kudos to Oakland Park for transforming a piece of land next to the tracks into a community epicenter.

    James R.

    It's nice to see a well maintained park in a down and out low income high crime part of Oakland Park. While small, it has a field area with a circular walking trail. At the base there is a fountain and a large Oakland Park sign. Another nice aspect to the park is that it is fenced in and separate from the relatively busy surface streets. The City seems to have a number of events there so it is not always empty. Nice place to run or walk on a good day.

    For history buffs: This is the doorway location on the Drive in Wilton Manors where Jaco Patorius was brutally beaten to death in 1987.
    Marqus R.

    As parks go, it really isn't all that much of a park. Instead of really being a park it serves more as location for theme events such as traveling amusement ride shows, Octoberfest event parties, Gay Pride celebrations, etc. and as an overflow parking area for nearby Funky Buddha Brewery's special events. Other than that, its general use is pretty much only for dog walking. The park is named after John Francis Anthony Pastorius III who, though born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, moved to Oakland Park at a young age. He became one of the greats of jazz and bass guitar, went by the name of Jaco Pastorius, and was musically influential with his innovative Latin-influenced 16th-note funk. His life ended rather abruptly after, according to local gossip, starting a fight with Big Luc (not a guy to mess with), the bouncer at what was the Midnight Bottle Club in nearby Wilton Manors, having his skull fractured, falling into a coma and later being pronounced dead at Broward General on September 21, 1987 at age 35. If you have any interest in Jaco, one of his best was "The Chicken" which can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgntkGc5iBo

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    8 years ago

    Never been there - but it's named in honor of a musical pioneer and genius. RIP Jaco.

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    Review Highlights - Jaco Pastorius Park

    In 1974, Jaco began playing with his friend and later famous jazz guitarist, Pat Metheny.

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    Mills Pond Park

    Mills Pond Park

    3.7(10 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    We had a soccer tournament this weekend which spanned across multiple parks in Broward. This park…read morewas one of 4 that our team played, but by far, the worst one...though it has so much potential. I believe staff and the city have dropped the ball in allowing a beautiful city park to fall apart. The bathrooms were AWFUL with brown stuff smeared on the mirrors and walls and no toilet paper in any stalls (in male or female bathrooms), and 3 of the toilets in the ladies room were stained with feces or were clogged and unflushed, stall doors were not aligned and difficult to lock. The turf looked fairly new but was literally riddled with so much debris including a ton of cigarette butts, large rocks, bottle caps from various drink bottles (including beer bottles), as well as tons of leaves. In other words, it doesn't appear that the turf is being kept up. There are homeless people living in the park and sleeping along the walls where the bathrooms are with all their bags and blankets piled up along the path to the bathroom. Park staff were huddled together underneath a tent, congregating and chatting but no one tended to bathrooms. There was a kid maybe around 10 or so that had jumped the fence onto the playing turf and was on the sidelines throwing large rocks onto the playing field and although there was staff there, no one stopped him so we, the parents had to tell him to stop and also to go onto the field to collect the rocks he'd thrown so no one gets hurt while playing. Also, there were So many kids in the park for the tournament and oddly, there was no open concession, no vending machines or vendors to buy water or Gatorade. The kids in these tournaments, often play 2 games at two different parks per day but I have yet to do a tournament where there are no beverages available for purchase...even if it's just a vending machine. I hope the Parks & Recreation dept for Sunrise or Ft Laud can make it a priority to fix the problems at his park. It seems to be located in a part of the city where many youth live based on all the kids I saw walking, or riding bicycles into the park from a neighboring community and these kids should be able to safely go and have access to a nice clean park.

    Mills Pond Park was three blocks from where I grew up! I couldn't believe it when I saw this…read morebusiness page just now. All the memories came back of me with my gang of friends hanging out after school and on our days off. I'm recommending you visit and take photos for me!

    Photos
    Mills Pond Park - Water Lantern Festival at Mills Pond Park.

    Water Lantern Festival at Mills Pond Park.

    Mills Pond Park
    Mills Pond Park - We had great weather & so many teams that play happened at Mils Pond Park, Piccolo Park and Tradewinds Park!

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    We had great weather & so many teams that play happened at Mils Pond Park, Piccolo Park and Tradewinds Park!

    Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve

    Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve

    4.6(5 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    The Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve is a five-and-a-half-acre park situated along the…read moreSouth Fork of the Middle River. Just about a block south of City Hall and across from the Dairy Queen. The property contains the main Richardson residence, which was constructed in 1958, and a frame carriage house from 1926. The main residence, Manor House, provides a quaint location for receptions, meetings, special events and office space for the Wilton Manors Historical Society and City of Wilton Manors Leisure Services Department staff. The carriage house is used as a museum and provides artifacts and materials that will preserve the City of Wilton Manors history, culture and heritage. Kayak rentals are available every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There's free parking for those wanting to just stroll the green spaces, come close to the tranquil waters or just relax under the trees.

    One wouldn't usually think of a little 5.4 acre park to be anything worthy of yelping about, but…read moreRichard Historic Park and Nature Preserve happens to be one. It has everything a good park should have. It has quiet green space, lovely trees, a natural nature surrounding, a historic building, plenty of parking, an observation walk and pier, a boat dock, a superb location and provides a variety of recreational not only for individuals but for community functions as well. Wilton Manors, sometimes known as the Island City, really is an island city, but only somewhat, being bordered by the North and the South Fork of the Middle River, and it is in Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve that the "Wilton Manors Taste of the Island" event is held wherein numerous area restaurants offer a taste of the culinary arts. It is also here that people enjoy nature walks, bird watching, picnics, fishing, and canoeing, kayaking, crabbing and other leisure activities. The centerpiece of the park is the historic Richardson building, the grandest and most prominently historic (historic because here, other than retirees from the north, things aren't very old) home in Wilton Manors. Built in 1958 as the Richardson's manor house it was sold to the City of Wilton Manors in 2002 and dedicated as a park in 2007.

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    Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve - Ducks splashing around on a hot day!

    Ducks splashing around on a hot day!

    Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve
    Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve

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    Floranada Park

    Floranada Park

    4.0(3 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    This is a quaint neighborhood park located next to Floranada Elementary School. Interestingly this…read morearea of Ft. Lauderdale got its name from a Scottish noblewoman in the 1920's. Gwendolyn Maitland, the 14th Countess of Lauderdale, divided her time between her castle near Edinburgh and Palm Beach. While in Palm Beach she discovered Ft. Lauderdale named after her distant ancestor, Major William Lauderdale, during the Second Seminole War. In 1923 Maitland helped form the American British Improvement Association which purchased 8,000 acres of land north of Fort Lauderdale including a mile of oceanfront property. She planned to create a luxury resort in Broward County with the help of investor John S. Pillsbury, co-founder of the Pillsbury food company. The name Floranada was chosen from a mash up of Florida and Canada but the American British Improvement Association went bankrupt in 1926 before the resort could be built. This neighborhood in Ft. Lauderdale still bears the name. Floranada Park is almost 10 acres of outdoor recreational fun. Amenities include an athletic field, open area for play, pavilion, picnic tables, and grill, playground, restrooms, and sand volleyball court. Since the park is next to a school it is open daily after school until 9 PM and all day on the weekends. During the weekdays this park is mainly an extension of the school. During the weekends you will find families picnicking, kids unleashing their energy, and friends playing volleyball. This park adds to the vibrancy of the Floranada community.

    This park is beautiful, clean, quiet, and perfect for walking dogs. I love the location and that it…read moreis a safe neighborhood with very little traffic, that's also a nice touch.

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    Floranada Park
    Floranada Park
    Floranada Park - Floranada Park, Fort Lauderdale

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    Floranada Park, Fort Lauderdale

    El Prado Park - Accessible beach mat

    El Prado Park

    4.7(15 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    This was a charming beach "park" in Lauderdale By The Sea. I was actually upset that I hadn't found…read morethis place sooner. My contact at the town, however, told me that the grassy area used to be a parking lot years ago and most of the amenities were added within the last ten years. There's resident permit parking right out front and metered parking just across the street. As you walk along the sidewalk there are colorfully painted Adirondack chairs -- two per -- under umbrellas. And a shade pavilion with chairs. At the beach entrance are various signs with information. No dogs are allowed nor is cigarette smoking on the beach. The park is open 7 am - 10 pm. There's a display with life jackets hanging from it in case someone needs to borrow one. And some info re rip currents and water safety. Two shower towers are at the entrance, too. There are bottom water spouts for washing the sand off your feet after the beach, as well. One of the nicest things was the beach access path. There are two entrances to the beach and one is covered in a hard mesh -- perfect for wheel chairs or wheeled carts or if you have trouble walking. I took a short walk out to the beach itself. It's wide with clean, white sand here. Mid week it wasn't busy with visitors. Talk about a "chamber of commerce" picture! I couldn't resist taking a short video. We truly live in paradise and this park proves it.

    My wife found a quaint beautiful Beach side park to enjoy some sunshine, warmth from the sun and…read moresome fresh ocean breezes to soothe and recharge her internal solar battery! A beautiful little park with plenty of accessible parking just across the street.

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    El Prado Park - Super wide and clean beach

    Super wide and clean beach

    El Prado Park
    El Prado Park

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    Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve

    Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve

    4.0(1 review)
    3.0 mi

    This 5.6 natural area is somewhat hidden at the end of a street opposite the Sunshine Holiday MHCC…read moreRV and Camping Resort between Lake Tahoe and Bates Lake. The preserve was purchased in 2001 by the City of Oakland Park using funds from the Florida Communities Trust and Florida Forever Funds. The habitat is scrub which is some of the most endangered in Florida. Scrub is at the highest elevation which is where builders want to do their construction. At one time all of South Florida east of the Everglades and west of the Coast was scrub habitat. Today much of the scrub preserves has been wiped out in Florida which has endangered animals like gopher tortoises and scrub jays who call it home. They are certain plants and animals that only exist in a biologically significant scrub habitat so conservation of the land is extremely important. Plant life here includes sand pines with an understory of oaks Laurel Oaks, Sand Live and Myrtle Oak, saw palmetto, and shrubs. Ground plants are prickly pear cactus, gopher apples, blueberry and blazing star, tarflower, sand spike and deer moss. Native animals who make their home in the scrub are the Scrub Jay, Scrub Lizard, Sand Skink, Florida Mouse, Gopher tortoise, Gray Fox, American Kestral, and Loggerhead Strike. They are over 20 species of animals that only live in scrub habitat and are listed as rare, endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve has a small parking lot. Starting at the restrooms are paved and sand trails. There is interpretive signs along the trails and a small observation deck overlooking the lake. Walk quietly and keep your peeled for the plants and animals that make their home here. This is the perfect place to take an easy hike to see how Florida looked before it was developed.

    Photos
    Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve
    Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve - Prickly pear cactus.

    Prickly pear cactus.

    Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve

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    Jaco Pastorius Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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