LCRA, City of Lampasas award $50,000 grant for new shade structure at W.M. Brook Park
Spring Ho Festival to improve comfort, safety at park playground
Dec. 5, 2025
LCRA and City of Lampasas representatives present a $50,000 grant to the Lampasas Spring Ho Festival for a new shade structure at W.M. Brook Park. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Grants program. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are: Jace Perkins, Rylie Smith, Laney Rollins, Hayes Rollins, Sutton Vann and Brycen Smith. Second row: Jennifer Walker and Leanne Bobo, festival committee members; Phil Wilson, LCRA general manager; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Martha Leigh M. Whitten, LCRA Board vice chair; Nancy Eckert Yeary, LCRA Board member; Stacy Oncken, festival committee secretary; Kayleigh Stanley, Lampasas city secretary; and John Palacio, LCRA Regional Affairs representative. Back row: Robby Vann, festival board president; Herb Pearce, Lampasas mayor; Megan Tabor, festival committee president; Justin Roden and Nick Myers, festival committee members; and Randy Hoyer, Lampasas County judge.
LAMPASAS, Texas – The Lampasas Spring Ho Festival soon will purchase and install a shade structure for the playground at W.M. Brook Park, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Lampasas.
The community grant, along with $14,375 in matching funds from the Spring Ho Festival, will help create a cooler, more comfortable play area to be enjoyed more safely year-round.
“W.M. Brook Park is the first place many people see when they come into town, and it is near Ruth Eakin Outdoor Theater, the heart of where Spring Ho happens every July,” said Robby Vann, 2025 president of the Lampasas Spring Ho Festival Board of Directors. “In the Texas heat, there’s little relief on the playground and equipment can get too hot by midday. With this shade, families can enjoy the park longer and let the kids play safely throughout the day.”
Vann said he was particularly proud of the 2025 Spring Ho committee members for their work in developing the grant application and securing the required matching funds.
W.M. Brook Park serves as a central venue for festivals, concerts and everyday recreation. The new shade will make the popular playground more accessible.
“I grew up in Texas, and I know firsthand how hot playground equipment can be,” LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said. “Almost every kid I knew was scalded by a slide in the heat of summer at some point. Having a canopy protects people from UV rays and keeps the equipment from overheating, making the overall experience more enjoyable. We want our kids to play outdoors and have fun, not get sunburned or burned from equipment on a playground.”
Wilson applauded the Spring Ho Festival for working to improve park amenities. He said providing safe, family friendly parks is a key element in encouraging active lifestyles and attracting new residents and businesses to a community.
“Parks like this one help people get together and have fun outdoors,” he said. “I’m pleased LCRA can play a role in enhancing the health and development of the community.”
Vann said that without the canopy, the playground is accessible during the early mornings and late evenings during the hottest part of the year. But with the new shade structure, the playground will be accessible to families throughout the day.
“I look forward to bringing my grandchildren and enjoying a picnic at the park together,” Vann said. “We’re grateful to LCRA and the city for helping us secure a high-quality shade structure for the community.”
This is one of 41 grants awarded recently through LCRA Community Grants. These grants are awarded twice a year as part of LCRA’s effort to give back to communities in its wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The City of Lampasas is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the Community Grants program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.
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