The Austin Parks Foundation (APF) has announced the latest recipients of its ACL Music Festival Grant awards, totaling $85,500 for park improvements across Austin. These grants are part of APF's ongoing investment in local parks.
APF offers two types of grants funded by the ACL Music Festival: Neighborhood Grants ($500 – $5,000) and Community Impact Grants ($5,000+). Neighborhood Grants support small-scale community-initiated park projects, while Community Impact Grants focus on larger-scale improvements.
In addition to these grants, funds from the ACL Music Festival also support capital projects, It’s My Park Day events, year-round Open Workdays, and unrestricted funds for the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.
This year's grant projects include a variety of initiatives such as nature play areas and trail improvements. The following are highlights from the Spring 2024 Community Impact Grants:
**Steck Valley Greenbelt: Trail Improvement ($17,000)**
Steck Valley Greenbelt in northwest Austin will receive funding for trail improvements. Informal trails created by foot traffic have negatively impacted the park's ecology. The grant will address needs such as widening or redirecting trails, creating creek crossings to mitigate erosion, and clearing invasive species. The project is a collaboration with Watershed Protection and Austin Parks and Recreation.
**Grand Meadow: Community Garden Amenities ($42,000)**
Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park in southeast Austin will develop a community garden and food forest with amenities including a fence, shed, and seating around the garden space. This follows a concept plan adopted in 2022 after receiving design services from APF.
**Heritage Oaks Neighborhood Park, Ron Rigsby Pocket Park and Walnut Bluffs Trail Head: Nature Play ($26,500)**
These parks will benefit from nature play elements through the Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) initiative. CCCN aims to create equitable access to nature in urban areas by integrating natural materials for play into city parks.
Additionally, APF highlighted several completed projects from 2023:
**Pastor Edward Clarence Craig Jr. Neighborhood Park: Kiosk ($29,000)**
A kiosk was added to this Dove Springs neighborhood park to enhance community engagement. The park was renamed in 2018 to honor Pastor Edward Clarence Craig Jr., who significantly contributed to the community.
**UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum: Preservation Plan ($25,000)**
Funds were granted for developing a Historic Preservation, Expansion and Unification Plan at UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum. This plan aims to improve access while preserving Charles Umlauf’s home and studio site.
**Armadillo Neighborhood Park: Removal of Invasive Plants ($10,000)**
Funding was provided for removing poison ivy and other invasive plants at Armadillo Park in South Austin to ensure safer conditions for visitors.
Several smaller projects were also funded through Neighborhood Grants:
**Parque Zaragoza: Shade ($6,000)**
Native trees were planted around Parque Zaragoza’s playscape area to provide shade during summer months.
**Walnut Creek Metro Park: Mulch ($2,500)**
Following a winter storm that damaged native vegetation at Walnut Creek Metro Park in February 2023, mulch was provided to aid recovery efforts.
These initiatives reflect APF's commitment to enhancing green spaces throughout Austin with community-driven projects supported by ACL Music Festival funds.