Eagan Parks: Where Community Happens
Where Community Happens - From Cascade Bay and the Community Center splash pad to Quarry Park’s pickleball courts, Goat Hill outdoor covered rink, the Lexington Diffley ball fields and Destination All-Play at Woodhaven Park — Eagan’s parks serve every age, every interest, and every ability.
Eagan’s diverse park system is among the finest in the metro — 60 distinct parks, nearly 1,400 acres of dedicated parkland, and access to the 2,000-acre Lebanon Hills Regional Park managed by Dakota County. A 160-mile network of walking and biking trails connects these spaces, making it possible for residents to move through their community without ever getting in a car.
Ken Vraa, Eagan’s first Parks Director, had a vision that every Eagan resident live within walking distance of a park. When interviewing his successor, Mayor Maguire, he asked: “What do parks mean to a community like Eagan?” The answer has stuck with him: “Parks are where community happens.”
As Mayor, Mike has carried both visions forward. Two projects stand out as defining commitments.
First, Council member Mike Maguire helped implement and preserve the Eagan Core Greenway, playing a central role in preserving the Caponi Art Park — a 57-acre sanctuary of art, nature, and performance space in the heart of the city. The first 30 acres were purchased in 2005. In 2013, Mayor Maguire led the Council in purchasing the remaining 27 acres.
Second, at the Eagan Community Center & Festival Grounds, Mayor Maguire helped activate the civic gathering spaces that now define Eagan’s community calendar.
- Eagan MarketFest launched in 2007 with 13 vendors in Eagan and has grown into a major regional draw. It grew out of Mayor Maguire’s hope of having more opportunities for Eagan’s increasingly diverse community to come together and connect. Every Wednesday, while Eagan residents buy produce and products from local artisans, Eagan’s rich diversity is on display.
- In 2016, Eagan had its first Eagan Food Truck festival with just 23 trucks; it now draws over 10,000 visitors annually. The original idea for the Food Truck Festival was hatched over lunch in a Seattle restaurant at the National League of Cities conference where Mayor Maguire and Council Members Fields and Hansen were catching a bite and talking about community-building in Eagan.
