Wake Forest sprayground, Knightdale pool scheduled to open June 13

Here's some good news for those looking for places to cool off. On Saturday, June 13, Wake Forest will open its Taylor Street Park Sprayground and Knightdale will open its seasonal public pool.

In Wake Forest, the sprayground at 416 N. Taylor Street will open at 10 a.m., Saturday. Free and open to the public, the sprayground, according to a town announcement, will operate daily in two-hour sessions, then close 30 minutes for cleaning. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays. It will close for the season on Sept. 8.

In addition to the two-hour time limit, the sprayground will open with the following safety measures, according to the town's website:

• Temporary fencing will be installed around the sprayground to control the entry and exit of visitors;
• For the purposes of contact tracing, all persons entering the sprayground must be signed in by staff;
• Seating areas will be clearly marked to ensure proper spacing and appropriate social distancing (patrons may bring their own chairs);
• Staff will enforce a maximum capacity of 16 people.

No decision has been made about when Wake Forest's Holding Park Aquatic Center will open, says a town announcement. More about the sprayground is on Wake Forest's website.

The Knightdale Community Pool also is slated to open on June 13.

Like Wake Forest's sprayground, it also will have new safety measures that limit the number of people in the facility. The snack bar will be closed. No pool parties will be allowed. And swimmers can bring their own toys, but can't share them with others outside their household.

More information is on Knightdale's website. The pool is open to Knightdale residents and non-residents and offers summer passes and gate admission.

The pandemic is forcing local town and city officials across the Triangle to make tough decisions about pools this summer. Durham parks closed its indoor and outdoor pools for the summer, citing the safety of swimmers and staff and logistical issues.

Raleigh officials don't plan to make a decision about opening its pools until at least June 26. Chapel Hill officials have also said that its pools won't open during this second phase of the state's reopening plan. And Fuquay-Varinas splash pad is closed until further notice, according to its website.