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June 2026

City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Parks and Rec Roundup banner with white text overlaid on a baseball field background showing green grass and infield dirt.

Save the date written in white chalk-style text on a dark chalkboard background with an underline beneath the text.

Summer Pools Open
Now-Aug. 1

Summer Class Registration Deadline
Now open

TPRC Meeting
Wednesday, June 24
(online and in-person)

Keeling Desert Park Ribbon-Cutting
Thursday, June 11, 9 a.m.

Fort Lowell Commissary Ribbon-Cutting
Friday, June 12, 8:30 a.m.

Cushing Street Skate Park Groundbreaking
Tuesday, June 30, 6 p.m.

2018 Parks + Connections Bond Oversight Commission Hybrid Meeting
Monday, July 20
(online and in-person)

A one-story red brick building in a Southwestern style, shaded by a large sprawling mesquite tree, with desert plants along the entrance and a partly cloudy blue sky overhead.

PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED FEE CHANGES

The City of Tucson will hold a public hearing at the Mayor and Council meeting on June 9, 2026, at approximately 5:30 p.m., to consider proposed Tucson Parks and Recreation fee updates, which are designed to better align user fees with the actual cost of running programs and maintaining facilities. Following an April 7 vote and a notice of intent, the department held multiple public and user group meetings from April 8 to May 17, collecting hundreds of community comments that shaped the final proposal.

Key adjustments include replacing proposed pickleball fees at Udall Park with a community Memorandum of Understanding with Tucson Area Pickleball for maintenance and fundraising for future investment, adding a daily lap swim punch pass, removing the therapy pool pass, and shifting to a 15% annual increase for aquatics fitness classes instead of full cost recovery. The proposal also introduces a new graduated income-based Discount Program tied to the Federal Poverty Level, replacing the current flat 50% discount, with discounts ranging from 20% to 80% for qualifying families. More information is available at the link below.

Two softball players swing their bats in a split-panel action photo with a red torn-paper design element; a player in a pink jersey swings on the left, while a player in a yellow "Fire" jersey swings on the right, with spectators and a chain-link fence visible in the background.

FALL SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL LEAGUE

Registration Begins: Friday, June 5, 2026

Registration Deadline: Sunday, July 19, 2026 (11:59 p.m.)
Dates: Aug. 11-Nov. 19
Days:

• Tuesday: Coed Competitive
• Wednesday: Coed Recreation
• Thursday: Men's
• Thursday: Women's

Cost: $350/team

Collage of City of Tucson Parks & Recreation classes featuring children playing basketball, a child drawing, group fitness and dance classes, an adult and child doing an art project together, and a spin cycling class. Text reads: Learn, Engage, Discover.

DEADLINE APPROACHING TO TAKE A SUMMER CLASS

Tucson Parks and Recreation will offer a wide array of summer indoor leisure classes and camps. Classes range from arts and crafts, Little Movers and Shakers, dance, gymnastics, jewelry making, glass fusing, music, and more for youth and adults. KIDCO Summer (5-11 years old), KIDCO Inclusion (5-11 years old), In-Betweeners Club (12-14 years old), Junior Staff in Training (14-17 years old), and Therapeutic Recreation camps will be offered in June and July. Classes and programs will be viewable online at the link below. Registration is open now online at the link below. The deadline to register for summer classes is Tuesday, June 9, by 5 p.m. For more information, visit the links below.

Three children smile at the camera while swimming underwater in a pool, each wearing swim goggles — one in blue, one in pink, and one in orange — with sunlight filtering through the water above them.

SWIM FREE THIS SUMMER

Tucson Parks and Recreation opened 18 city pools for the summer season, running May 31 through Aug. 1, 2026. Pools will be closed on Friday, June 19, and Saturday, July 4, for the holidays. Admission is free at all pools and splash pads. For a full list of locations and hours, visit the website below.

Three-panel image showing fitness facilities including a gym with various exercise equipment and weight machines, an indoor walking track with blue surface and white lane markings, and a person using strength training equipment.

STAY ACTIVE AND FIT AT A RECREATION CENTER NEAR YOU

Take advantage of fitness opportunities and recreation amenities by using a recreation center near you. Tucson Parks and Recreation offers a free Community Pass providing access to eight locations throughout the city: Fred Archer, Cherry Avenue, El Rio, Freedom, Marty Birdman, Oury, Quincie Douglas, and Santa Rosa centers. Three other types of passes are offered for all other locations: Universal, Restricted, and the Senior Activity Card. Universal Passes must be purchased for the El Pueblo Center, Morris K. Udall Center, and William M. Clements centers. The Restricted Pass can only be used at Donna R. Liggins and Randolph centers. The Senior Activity Card may be used at Armory Park Center, El Pueblo Activity Center and Senior Center, and Morris K. Udall Center, and Carol West Senior Center on any day, and on all other centers designated "Senior Days." Depending on the location, benefits may include using the gymnasium, weight room, indoor track, racquetball courts, locker rooms, and game areas. All participants must take a certification class before using weight equipment.

City of Tucson 311 banner featuring the city logo and large green 311 numbers on a dark blue background, with a panoramic photo of downtown Tucson's skyline at sunset showing office buildings and Sentinel Peak (A Mountain) in the background.

REPORT ISSUES IN A PARK USING 311 MOBILE APP

Do you need to report an issue in a City park? Download the Tucson 311 app on your phone or report it on the City’s website below. With the free mobile app and web tools, Tucsonans are able to provide Parks and Recreation staff with pictures, specific descriptions, and the details needed to get the job done. In addition, the platform allows requests to be documented in our centralized management system for assured resolution.

Event flyer for the Cushing Street Skate Park Garound breaking, featuring Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz and Founder Caleb Gutierrez, scheduled for Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. at 700 W. Cushing St.

CITY TO BREAK GROUND ON CUSHING STREET SKATE PARK

After years of community support, fundraising, and advocacy, the Cushing Street Skate Park is officially breaking ground. Join Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz and Tucson Parks & Recreation as we celebrate this exciting milestone for Tucson’s skate community.

Date: Tuesday, June 30, at 6 p.m.
Location: 700 W. Cushing St. (under the I-10 underpass)

This $2.6 million project was made possible through strong community partnerships, public support, and the vision and dedication of founder Caleb Gutierrez. Funding contributions include support from the City Framework and City Investment Plan, Tohono O’odham Nation Grant, Mayor’s Office, Ward 1 Budget de la Gente participatory budgeting process, Rio Nuevo, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and community donations. Come celebrate this major step forward for Tucson skateboarding.

Tucson Delivers Parks and Connections Updates banner with white text on a green grass background.

In November 2018, City of Tucson voters approved Proposition 407, a $225 million bond package for capital improvements. The bond funds are dedicated to improving City park amenities (playgrounds, sports fields, pools, splash pads, and recreation centers) as well as connections (pedestrian pathways, bicycle pathways, and pedestrian and bicycle safety). For more information on all the projects planned and status updates, visit TucsonDelivers.Tucsonaz.gov.

2018 Parks + Connections Bond Oversight Commission Hybrid Meeting

The Tucson Delivers Program is monitored by eleven members of the public appointed to the 2018 Parks and Connections Bond Oversight Commission. Their next meeting will be held on Monday, July 20, at 5:30 p.m., virtually and at 900 S. Randolph Way, Tucson, AZ, 85716.

Click HERE to join the meeting.

If you wish to address the Commission, please email Diana Schroeder at Diana.Schroeder@tucsonaz.gov or call 520-837-8162 by 10 a.m. on July 20, with your full name, mailing address, phone number, the topic you wish to address, and if you would like to be added to our email distribution list for future notifications and updates.

Two ribbon-cutting ceremonies shown in a split photo; the top image shows a large crowd of community members and officials cutting a purple ribbon in front of a playground, and the bottom image shows a smaller group cutting a red ribbon in front of a donor recognition sign for the Joseph "Mama" Blair Garden.

PALO VERDE PARK UNVEILS MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS AND
NEW BASKETBALL COURTS WITH SHADE

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham celebrated the completion of extensive upgrades to Palo Verde Park, 425 S. Mann Ave., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 29. The $4.8 million-plus project, funded through Proposition 407 bonds, impact fees, City Framework Funds, and other sources, delivers new LED ballfield lighting, an upgraded irrigation system, a shaded playground, two full-size basketball courts, three pickleball courts, 101 newly planted trees, and green stormwater infrastructure features, with two ramadas expected by the end of June. They also hosted a separate unveiling of the Judith 'Mama' Blair Basketball Courts, a $575,000 tribute to the late mother of former UA and NBA player Joseph Blair, who has spent over two decades running free basketball camps for Tucson youth; the courts were funded through city, Ward 2, and private donations, with fundraising ongoing.

Exterior view of a restored adobe-style building with pale stucco walls, a metal roof, and blue-trimmed windows, surrounded by desert landscaping, a gravel courtyard, and a mesquite tree under a clear blue sky.

TUCSON COMPLETES $4.62 MILLION FORT LOWELL REHABILITATION PROJECT

The City of Tucson will mark the completion of the Historic Fort Lowell Improvements project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the Commissary at Fort Lowell Park, 5477 E. Fort Lowell Road. The $4.62 million project rehabilitated the Commissary and Donaldson House at a site with human settlement history stretching back 13,000 years and military use from 1873 to 1891. It was funded through an Arizona State Parks historic preservation grant, matching city funds, and the 2018 voter-approved Tucson Delivers bond program. A recipient of the 2026 Governor's Heritage Preservation Honor Award, the project was designed by Poster Mirto McDonald and built by MW Morrissey Construction, with project management provided by Pima County, and aims to transform Fort Lowell into a premier destination for education, history, and community enjoyment.