Park News

Innovative glow-in-the-dark park about to turn it on in Farmers Branch

Joya glow in the dark park in Farmers Branch.

Courtesy rendering

An opening date has been determined for a truly original concept coming to Dallas-Fort Worth: Joya at Oran Good Park, the first "glow in the dark" playground in Farmers Branch, and in the entire U.S., for that matter, is celebrating its opening on January 20.

Located at Valley View Lane and Tom Field Road, the 18,000-square-foot facility is an innovative new twist on a park, featuring LED lights and interactive features that change color and will illuminate the park after dark - making it a destination both for day and night.

The city of Farmers Branch promises a one-of-a-kind playground experience.

In addition to the distinctive lighting, the playground will have a 27-foot climbing sphere with six levels, swings, slides, obstacle course, zip line, and hammocks.

A sound system will pipe in sounds of nature (in case the real birds are napping?), or Christmas music during the holiday season.

Joya will feature both a main playground (for ages 6+) and a tot playground (for ages 2 to 5). Visitors can also access trails, picnic tables, pavilions, and park benches park.

Joya is part of Oran Good Park, a 10-acre complex at 13300 Dennis Ln. that also boasts two baseball fields, four softball fields, a mini-soccer field, trails, and creek. Joya will replace the existing playground at Oran Good Park.

According to a release, the project is funded by a $750,000 grant from the State of Texas Parks & Wildlife and $4,000,000 from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Farmers Branch Deputy City Manager Mike Mashburn, who was inspired by Disney theme parks and a park in China, worked with a team of playground and engineering professionals, including Kompan who make playground equipment, and TNP, a civil engineering, surveying, and landscape architecture firm.

According to their website, the Oran Good Park location was selected for its central location and visibility and for the unique topography and natural features of the site, most of which they've kept intact. That includes Farmers Branch Creek and walking trails which remain. A buffer will be planted around the creek to help with runoff, pollutants, and erosion. They also checked with the Audubon Society to make sure it's bird-friendly.

And since it's a city park, everyday access is free.

The grand opening is set for January 20th at 6 pm, with the illumination of lights at 6:30 pm. The event will feature food trucks and giveaways from city park officials. It'll run until 9 pm, but the park will stay open until 10 pm. However: No pets, no alcohol or illegal drugs, no smoking or vaping, no skateboards, no roller blades or in-line skates, no frisbees, no hazardous materials, and no laser pointers.

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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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