The City of Knoxville welcomed two new parks in 2024.

Those included are the splash pad finished in May out in Knoxville’s new Veterans District which was a success according to the Parks and Recreation Department. Parks and Recreation Director Brandon Nemmers stated that the splash pad was busy nearly everyday throughout the summer and that there were always cars from different counties parked there. The City also added Dixies Garden which is a park right next to the library in honor of Dixie Gebhardt who is a Knoxville native famous for designing the Iowa flag. That park is a green space that includes picnic tables, benches, a garden, and a stage for library programming. Nemmers said both of those parks have been great additions to the community.

“Anytime, especially for someone in my field, you can be a part of building a new park. It’s awesome. We’ve really put a focus on that. That’s thanks to the city manager, city council, parks and rec commission and everyone who has a hand in that, and the community just being patient as we try and catch up on those things. Those are good additions and we are very proud of those areas and we’re going to try and keep moving forward with that.”

The splash pad along with the rest of the city parks are expected to open back up in April.