Peculiar Parks Foundation

05/27/2026

Want to skip the walk from the parking area at Dunsworth Park (about a 5 minute walk)? The City has a limited number of VIP parking spots at Lion’s Park available now for presale for just $10.00!

These spots will put you right in the middle of all the action for A Very Peculiar Independence Day on July 4th and they are expected to go FAST.
Not only does VIP parking make your night easier, but every purchase helps support the Peculiar Parks Foundation and future community park projects right here in Peculiar. ❤️

♿ Disabled parking will be FREE on a first come, first served basis for those with disabled placards or plates.

Grab your VIP parking before it’s gone:
https://www.zeffy.com/.../a-very-peculiar-celebration-vip...

View Event Details Here: https://www.cityofpeculiar.com/.../a-very-peculiar...

We cannot wait to celebrate with everyone at Lion’s Park for an unforgettable Independence Day celebration!

05/18/2026

Last Thursday we had an exciting day with friends and volunteers. KW brought out the masses (not all pictured) to help with cleaning up logs and debris from some past storms and flooding at Raisbeck. A group of them also helped clean up the weeds and overgrowth around the Welcome sign for us. Our group was able to plant some new perennials (thank you, Tami) and sunflowers (low-growing) in the fresh garden soil we added to the bed.

We then hopped on over to McKernan park to clean up the flower beds around both of those signs. One bed had been almost completely overtaken by grass and weeds. Since we still had a few sunflowers, we added them to the perennials that were still hanging on. We will work on getting some more perennials added as soon as we can.

We can't wait to see how things grow and fill out!

If you are interested in helping with a cleanup or planting, or any other improvements to a park in Peculiar- let us know.
Peculiar Parks and Recreation has a lot of improvements planned, and we are here to help. Join us next time - see you soon!

05/04/2026

What is a Parks Foundation Part 2

Volunteers and Cooperation

It takes a lot of work to maintain our Parks. With a limited budget and staff, this means that some projects are prioritized over others. Maintaining the parks, mowing fields, organizing games schedules, repairing equipment, cleaning up trash and debris, keeping on top of the Lake and all of the other parks and trails is a lot of work for our town's little department.

Improvement projects are a great opportunity for volunteers to show up and lend a hand - with labor, materials, or equipment.

Living in a flood plain means there are many times a year when floodwaters bring in unexpected guests - downed trees, brush and debris on fields, broken equipment, washed out bridges on trails, not to mention the invasive species whose seeds and roots get washed up on our banks.

Park Cleanup days are wonderful when many hands work together to remove these unwanted items and plants that spoil our nature areas.

We are here to help organize volunteers, call out for donations of items needed, and roll up our sleeves to join in on the work. Contact us to have your name added to our list of helping hands!

If you see a problem in a park that you love, let's see how we can help you get it solved. Is your favorite playground in need of some extra attention? Brainstorm a plan of action with us and let's tackle it together! Join our team of volunteers and be part of the solution.

04/27/2026

Some of these are really neat, but might not work for Raisbeck...😂 I do like the idea of a disc library next to the course map!

Help us get the disc golf course equipment here https://share.google/PK94CNqr9TOSI6360

Let us know your thoughts below!

04/27/2026

Get planting this spring

04/22/2026

What Is a Parks Foundation Part 1

Access to Funding

If you have ever been frustrated that a park you love is going downhill, just to be told "the funds aren't there" then you may understand.

The 0.5% gas tax (pretty sure that's what it is) that goes to Parks doesn't go very far. The citizens have voted down any other sales tax increase that would go to Parks, and honestly it wouldn't go very far if it did. Peculiar Parks and Recreation doesn't have a whole lot of options for finding money other than tax dollars.

A municipality like the City of Peculiar and its departments like Parks and Rec are only able to apply for certain grants. The timing of applications and how they are written is important. Sometimes that does not work in their favor. They also are not able to apply for many grants that require non-profit status or matching funds.

A non-profit organization like the Foundation can apply for grants the City and Parks cannot. We can also raise money through donations. Some of those donations can be used to apply for larger grants that require matching funds. We are seeking help with grant research and writing, and we will need more time to raise funds to get those matching grants. The first step is in place. We are here and we hope we have your attention.

Now it is up to you. Help us help Parks to Reach for the Stars!

04/22/2026

We are glad some folks are seeing our posts and interacting! Stay tuned for some detailed posts on what we are actually doing. In the meantime, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) We are not the Parks and Rec Department.
2) We have no say and no control over the City's budget.
3) We are not the Board of Alderman.
4) We are citizen volunteers - people like you!
5) This organization was founded by a former Parks Board Chairman who was frustrated with always planning things that could never happen because the funding wasn't there. The Parks Department was unable to do any "fundraisers" and limited on which grants they could try to get. As a 501c3 non-profit, we can solicit donations, do fundraisers, and apply for non-profit grants. We can also do volunteer-driven activities, either to directly help Parks (like a cleanup) or just to invite folks to have fun in our parks (like the one we are planning in June).

This is where you come in! If you want the City and the Parks Department to hear your concerns - come to an event, go to a Parks Board or BoA meeting, tell your Alderman, or tell us! We meet with the Parks Director once a month to give feedback, tell him our progress, and hear his plans. You can help us by volunteering, sharing your thoughts and what should be prioritized, or by donating to the cause. We have several fundraisers open now, and we will talk to Parks about your projects next!

It's a small town, so small projects should be easy! If we can get a few of these little ones knocked out and raise enough funds and volunteers, we can tackle the big stuff. We will keep posting big ideas for the future, as we Reach for the Stars!

04/22/2026

Wowzers! We had been talking about a Park Cleanup day and asking for volunteers - maybe to collect debris like tires and things that wash up in Raisbeck after a flood. It looks like we actually need a full crew with heavy equipment to fix what the last 2 years has done to Dunsworth Park! That was an open field with a trail around it!! Any ideas from the public?
We are listening!

04/21/2026

National Park Week traditionally features many parks opening the gates for "Fee-Free Days" but Peculiar Parks are all free every day! We still encourage you to go out and enjoy the Parks this week!

04/21/2026

How does everyone feel about bringing an all-accessible playground like this to Peculiar? Let us know!

JUST IN: Variety KC announced the first park in its initiative to develop fully accessible, all-abilities playgrounds and inclusive community spaces across Greater Kansas City.

STORY >>> https://www.kctv5.com/2026/04/14/first-park-accessible-playground-initiative-across-kansas-city-will-be-downtown-cap-over-i-670/