Went to the SlideFest today with the family to attend a birthday party/celebration. I am actually being generous with my 3-star rating since this is the first time the organizers held this event in town. So I am giving them some leniency because I know there's always going to be kinks to work out when an event is open for the first time. Very first issue here that I see needs to be addressed is security. There's no security on site. Anyone can walk out of this place with your child. But I guess that's why you sign a waiver when you walk in. So be careful and keep an eye out for your kiddos. Everyone who enters (sliders and non-sliders) need to sign the waiver. And since I mentioned the waiver, it would be nice to have an option to print and sign the waiver at home. Especially if you are purchasing tickets online to make your entry quick and avoid standing in line for a long time. I do like it that they only charge for sliders. It's $12 per slider and children under 2 and non-sliders can come in for free. You may pick any spot in the soccer field. Bring your own shade.. a pop-up canopy, tent or umbrella works great! Bring stakes to secure your shade... it can get windy... saw a few umbrellas/pop ups fold and/or get blown away today. Don't forget your lawn chairs and/or blankets as well. Bring lots of water especially when it's really hot. They allow outside food and drinks so bring your own. Food and drinks available on site but are on the pricey side. No glassware, alcohol or grills allowed. And oh, be ready to pay $6 for parking. The soccer park charges for parking. It's not waived for this event. That's something the slidefest ads & website failed to mention.
Our kids didn't want to slide. They were expecting it was going to be too hot and water will be gross to be in. And they were absolutely right! As much as they want to try to run into the sprinklers they have around to cool off, they wouldn't want to go down those slides and end up in a pool of mucky, dirty, black water! There must be a way to keep those waters clean. I understand it can get muddy and dirty from wet feet walking around the grass and dirt but they must find a way to pump water out and change it every so often to keep it clean.
I think it's great to have something different to do in town with the kiddos. But there are some things that needs to be improved. The dirty waters can be a potential health issue. read more