A Field of Dreams, Delfino Park To Host Camp Out
Next month, White Plains families looking to sleep under the stars won’t need to make the trek into the woods to the nearest campsite.
Beginning Sept. 15, a Saturday, Delfino Park will be the site of the first “Great White Plains Community Camp Out.” For $40, a family of up to six people can spend the night in the park and take part in a range of activities including an outdoor movie.
Fran Croughan, the deputy commissioner of the city’s Recreation and Parks Department, said she heard another local community had a similar campout and brought the idea to Commissioner Wayne Bass.
“I thought that it would be really cool to bring that to White Plains and let a lot of kids who haven’t had the opportunity or parents who have been hesitant about venturing far from home try out camping,” Croughan said. “I think the kids will have a lot of fun.”
Croughan proposed it during the budget process and Mayor Tom Roach was on board.
“We all know that White Plains offers many suburban/urban amenities,” Roach said in a press release. “I am happy to say that we can now add camping to that list! I encourage our residents to join us for this fun-filled family camping event.”
A camping enthusiast herself, Croughan says she and he family’s adventures don’t quite qualify as roughing it. She’ll bring that same philosophy to the camp out, which she hopes will serve as a segue into future camping expeditions.
“There’s nothing rustic about the way that I camp,” Croughan said. “We tried to make it so that it’s going to be comfortable, yet that fun experience of really sleeping outside.”
Campers can bring their own premade meals, cook on grills provided by the city or stop by the concession stand. The city has partnered with the YMCA to coordinate activities at the event, which will include nature workshops, inline skating, a magic show, a movie (2001 family comedy “Spy Kids”) and a campfire with ghost stories. For parents, there will be sunrise yoga on Sunday morning.
Campers will be responsible for bringing their own tents and equipment, though they will get a free welcome bag at check-in. Tents can be rented at stores like Eastern Mountain Sports and the city has coupons for camping items at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Croughan said there’s been a steady flow of people registering so far, as the city looks to fill 80 campsites. Registration is open until Sept. 8, and applications are accepted at the Recreation and Parks office, located at 85 Gedney Way (more information can be found on the city’s website or by calling 914-422-1339). The rain date is the following Saturday.
At the camp-out, the city will be distributing information about local camping grounds. If the camp-out is successful, it could become a yearly tradition.
Said Croughan, “We’re hoping this is the first of many community campouts in White Plains.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
