Kenwood Cove Reports Average Attendance Despite Membership Decline

Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park maintained average attendance figures this summer despite experiencing a decline in membership sales, according to Aquatics Supervisor Andrea Linder who presented at the recent Parks and Rec Advisory Board meeting. Linder described the 2024 season as "a pretty average year in terms of previous years," noting that the facility is "staying about consistent in terms of the amount of people coming in." However, she pointed out that membership sales had decreased compared to previous seasons. "The one thing we did see down was the memberships that are sold," Linder stated during her presentation. Daily attendance at the aquatic park varied significantly based on weather conditions, ranging from approximately 500 visitors on slower days to nearly 1,500 on hot weekend days. Linder confirmed that the facility's maximum capacity is 1,750 people. The most notable decline was observed in youth memberships, which dropped to 45 this season. Parks and Rec Director Jeff Hammond noted this figure appeared to be significantly lower than in previous years, recalling that youth memberships had been "almost triple" in the past. When asked about possible reasons for the membership decline, Linder suggested that some families may have switched from individual youth memberships to the group membership option, which accommodates up to five people and is priced based on "two adults and three kids." She also mentioned that some potential members express concerns about the upfront cost of memberships. "I know we get some people asking questions in terms of price at the beginning because it is a big investment at the beginning of the summer," Linder explained. She noted that she tries to emphasize the value by explaining that "for all of our single memberships, you come 19 days out of the 75-80 days we have in the summer, and the rest of the summer is free." The season began with challenging weather conditions in June, with cold temperatures affecting both training and early attendance. "We started out rough in June with weather, it was cold at the very beginning, water was cold for training at the end of May," Linder reported. However, she added that "once we hit July it was nice and hot and it stayed consistent throughout, so it was a really good summer at Kenwood." Private rentals were also reported to be slightly down early in the season, though Linder noted they were "very booked from July on." The commission also discussed changes to the facility's dog plunge event rules, with Linder explaining that for safety reasons, they would be returning to a policy allowing only those 16 years and older to enter the facility during the event.