Fountain Hills Community Services received two awards from the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA), known as the Best of the Best Awards, at the 2023 APRA Conference in Glendale on Aug. 22.

The first award, in the category of Outstanding Special Events (Population Under 25,000), was given to Fountain Hills Community Services for its annual Halloween event, “Spooky Blast.”

Formerly known as “Halloween in the Hills,” the event was taken over by the Town during the COVID pandemic and has since grown after moving to Four Peaks Park. With over 5,000 attendees and an average stay of two hours, there was a wide array of attractions for families and participants including inflatables, a DJ, a costume contest, a Halloween-themed movie on the north field, food trucks and strong community partner involvement.

The second award, for Outstanding Facility (Population Under 25,000), was presented jointly to Playspace Designs and Fountain Hills Community Services for their work on the newly installed 5-12 playground at Fountain Park.

This playground includes one of the tallest playground structures in Arizona, featuring customized acrylic panels paying homage to the Fountain Hills Fountain. The Kompan Giant XL play structure stands out with its three-story slide leading to the playground floor. Notably, the playground includes a unique Cliff Rider, a pole-vaulting feature designed to help kids conquer their fear of heights. Additionally, there’s an agility rope course, a large climbing boulder and shade sail, making this playground a popular facility for the community.