After decades of dreaming, years of planning and 12 months of construction, Westchase District’s Woodchase Park at 3951 Woodchase will open this month with a series of grand opening festivities.

A complete scheduled of planned programming events can be found at woodchasepark.com

A ribbon-cutting celebration will be held on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. with special guests from the City of Houston, Houston West Chamber of Commerce, and Westchase District Board of Directors. Following the Grand Opening the District will host 10 days of celebratory events themed with planned activities:

Woodchase Park Grand Opening Schedule of Events Oct. 28 to Nov. 6, 2021

Thursday, Oct. 28 Grand Opening Day

9 a.m. - Reading Express with Literacy Now's Reading Express Mobile Classroom. Register here

11 a.m. - Ribbon-cutting Ceremony with City of Houston Westchase District and Houston West Chamber of Commerce

Friday, Oct. 29 Food Truck Friday

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Come out and enjoy lunch in the park.

Saturday, Oct. 30 Family Day

9 a.m. Boot Camp and Breakfast - Trainers from Tropa Z Fitness plus breakfast for participants.

11 a.m. Family Day in the Park - Bring a picnic to celebrate the park's first Saturday. Enjoy Kona Ice, Young Audiences, and The Chess Refinery chess tournament.

Sunday, Oct. 31 Trick or Treat

5 - 8 p.m. Halloween wonderland with pumpkin bounce house, candy, pumpkin patch, food trucks, games, arts & crafts, face painting and balloon twist, haunted house maze, Captain America and Frozen's Elsa and Anna. Wear your favorite costume!

Monday, Nov. 1 Pre-K Day

9 a.m. Literacy Now's Reading Express mobile classroom hosts Pre-K Day with a dynamic and fun school on wheels for children 2 months to 4 years of age. The curriculum is designed to develop phonological and print awareness, oral language, fine motor and other early literacy skills through the exploration of books, nursery rhymes, songs, art and play. Mostly kids will just have fun reading with their parents. There is a 20 child limit per program. The program is free but requires registering through Literacy Now.

Tuesday, Nov. 2 Bark in the Park

5 p.m. - Did you know Woodchase Park has a dog park? Completely enclosed from the rest of the park, wagging tails can run free and play. Join us for Yappy Hour with your furry friend while mingling with other dog lovers.

Wednesday, Nov. 3 Get Fit Day

9 a.m. Walk Club - Participate in a group walk around the park to get exercise steps in.

6 p.m. Zumba - Led by Tropa Z Fitness, this fitness program combines Latin and international music with dance moves.

Thursday, Nov. 4 Health & Wellness Day

9 a.m. Reading Express with Literacy Now's Reading Express Mobile Classroom. Register here

2 p.m. The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center's Mobile Donor Coach will be onsite for donors to donate blood and help save lives. Every donor will receive a free Covid antibody test. Schedule your appointment here.

6 p.m. Yoga Enjoy the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of yoga in a class taught by instructors from Tropa Z Fitness, plus juices for participants.

Friday, Nov. 5 Food Truck Friday

11 a.m. Bring out the office and have lunch in the park.

Saturday, Nov. 6 Go Green

9 a.m. Boot Camp and Breakfast Trainers from Tropa Z will lead a boot camp.

10 a.m. Join a horticulture class presented by Harris County Master Gardeners who will come to the park to provide expert advice on keeping your garden green. Gardeners will also share herb clippings from the park's community garden.

2 p.m. Young Audiences of Houston

Need a map on how to get to Woodchase Park? Download here.

“This really is a dream come true for many of our board members and staff who have worked for years to bring this project to completion,” said Irma Sanchez, Westchase District’s vice president of projects.

Community Impact Award Winners with Westchase District Advisory Board Members at a previous event.

We all know somebody who is inspirational. These individuals and organizations go above and beyond to make the Westchase District community better. You can tell us about them by submitting a nomination form for our annual Community Impact Awards. The form is quick and easy to complete. We will present awards to the honorees at the 4th Annual Community Impact Awards in January 2022. Nominate your hero by October 29.

Woodchase Park will be the place to be Halloween night. A Halloween Trick or Treat event is scheduled from 5-8 p.m. on October 31. Free festivities include a pumpkin bounce house, pumpkin patch, arts & crafts, a face painter, balloon artist, a haunted house maze, and photos with Captain America and Frozen's Elsa and Anna.

Before Woodchase Park's inaugural Halloween event, youngsters can get into the spirit with two free trunk or treat events. Located at 2525 Seagler Road, Ascension Episcopal School hosts Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 29 at 6 p.m.

And nearby, the Primrose School of the Westchase District has fun festivities also planned from 6 - 8 p.m. on October 29. Each of Primrose School's classrooms will decorate the trunk of a car and pass out candy. There will be pumpkin bowling, bean bag toss, ring toss and a dance station for mummy dances. It wouldn't be festive without carnival food. Attendees can enjoy popcorn and cotton candy. Bring the family and come in your costume! To find out more information, call 713-783-9800. The school is located at 3191 Briarpark Dr.

Thursdays @ 3 p.m. *Rain or shine* St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church

10503 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77042 (at Rogerdale, one block west of Beltway 8)

Baked Fresh Mini Cakes and Loaves from The Flour Shoppe

Carol Yourist has decades of baking experience and it shows in her cakes.

Every time you come to the farmers market it's quite possible that you are meeting a vendor who's craft and skill reflect a lifetime of experience. One such vendor is Carol Yourist of The Flour Shoppe. Yourist came to the farmers market this past summer and is a true baker's lady. There was a time when she baked exquisite and elaborate wedding cakes for brides and grooms tying the knot in South Carolina. "I have spent countless hours creating the perfect cake and had clientele from the best wedding planners," said Yourist. Now she focuses on smaller cakes, but she hasn't lost her art of creating wonderfully baked items in many varieties right from her kitchen. For Yourist, she's baking all of the time. If you have purchased items like cupcakes and seasonal cakes from Randalls' bakery at its 9660 Westheimer store, Yourist made it. From Yourist's oven to the market, Yourist is bringing freshly baked goodness. Pick up some angel food, chocolate cake, red velvet or 2-layer carrot cake for yourself, a spouse, a friend or relative. They'll definitely taste the love Yourist puts into every slice. Yourist can be contacted at 832-545-0817 or sabellaflour@reagan.com

Change of scenery: Veteran HPD officer Jeff Sneed hits the trail with summer camp students from Camp Quillian.

Having youthful looks didn’t make Jeff Sneed’s job any easier when he was a rookie police officer for the Houston Police Department. Sneed went from high school in Pearland to earning his welding degree from San Jacinto College. By age 19 he worked as a jailer and then went on to the Police Academy where he graduated at 21.

“Being a rookie, I was assigned to the older blue police squad cars, whereas other officers had the new white vehicles,” said Sneed. “I patrolled southeast Houston and looked really young back then. When I would respond to calls, people would not believe I was an officer. They would tell me to leave until the ‘real police’ showed up.” Faced with an unconvinced audience, Sneed would call another unit to the scene. Read More

Harris County is the most populous county in Texas and the third largest by population in the country. Learn how one of the largest county budgets in the United States comes together. Last year, Harris County's budget was roughly $5 billion. The Harris County Office of Management and Budget invites the public to attend four virtual Town Hall meetings to learn more about the budget process, where resources are budgeted and give feedback on the goals and priorities for the upcoming budget process.

Visit the registration page where you can register for the below Town Halls:

• Monday, Oct. 25: 6 - 7 :30 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 28: 6 - 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 29: 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 1: 6 - 7:30 p.m.

About Westchase District

Westchase District is a municipal management district funded by local property owners in a 4.2 square-mile area centered on Sam Houston Tollway between I-10 and US-59 on the west side of Houston, Texas. 

The district promotes growth by enhancing: 

• Mobility
• Beautification
• Public Safety
• Planning and Development

Have District-related news? 

Send it with your contact info to: cjacinto@westchasedistrict.com  

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