Press Release - 2025

November 25, 2025 - Urbandale Transforming Park into Winter Wonderland for Holiday Season

Join Mayor Bob Andeweg as he flips-the-switch tonight, turning on the holiday lights and opening the park for the season. Charles Gabus Memorial Tree Park in Urbandale has been decorated with more than 100,000 lights and many events are scheduled in the park for the next eight weeks. 

The City of Urbandale is opening a winter attraction named Miracle on 86th Street on Tuesday, November 25, at 5:30 PM at Charles Gabus Memorial Tree Park and Garden in Urbandale, Iowa. The park has been decorated with more 100,000 lights and Urbandale Mayor Bob Andeweg will flip-the-switch and light up the park for the holiday season.

The park features a large custom-built train, larger-than-life ornamental displays, an ice-skating rink, and holiday-themed events all season long. The opening event is free, and the public is invited to attend. Hot cocoa and cookies will be available, and a professional photographer will be onsite for those that would like their photo captured in the beautifully decorated park. 

The park is located at 3400 86th Street, near Urbandale Public Library and Urbandale City Hall. Miracle on 86th Street will be open through mid-January during normal park hours. The ice-skating rink will be open as weather permits, please refer to signage near the rink (and notices on the City website) for open/closed status.

For more information and a listing of all the events and planned activities visit: www.Urbandale.org/holiday 

October 21, 2025 - Urbandale Winterizing Parks 

Due to lowering temperatures, Urbandale Parks & Recreation staff will begin shutting down drinking fountains and restrooms throughout the parks system on Monday, October 27. As temperatures continue to drop, all park facilities must be winterized to withstand harsh weather conditions. Portable restrooms will remain through October and then closed and removed in early November.

“Residents enjoy our parks in every season, so our aim is to keep restrooms and fountains operating as long as possible,” said Scott Hock, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation, & Facilities. “People are still out walking, running, and playing, and we want to support that. With the forecast looking favorable, we’re able to wait one more week before winterizing.”

Maintaining water to unheated facilities during cold winter months can cause water pipes to burst resulting in expensive repairs. When temperatures allow in the spring, staff will restore water to the public restrooms and drinking fountains. Although Urbandale parks remain open year-round, trail maintenance may be limited during certain times of the year. Visitors should use caution during winter due to the potential for snow, ice, and debris hazards. 

Urbandale’s Parks & Recreation Department manages 57 parks, 50 miles of paved trails, and offers more than 300 athletic, instructional, recreational, and wellness programs during the year. Indoor programs are provided throughout the winter and can be found online at www.Urbandale.org/Fall or call the Parks & Recreation Department at 515-278-3963.

October 16, 2025 - Community Invited: Final Open House for Walker Johnston Regional Park Master Plan

Residents, park users, and neighbors are invited to a public Open House to help finalize the Walker Johnston Regional Park Master Plan. This drop-in event is a last chance for the community to review the near-final concepts and offer suggestions that will shape the future of one of Urbandale’s signature parks.

Event Details:

  • What: Walker Johnston Regional Park Master Plan — Community Open House
  • When: Thursday, October 16, 4:30–7:00 PM (drop in any time)
  • Where: Giovannetti Shelter, Walker Johnston Park
  • Address: 8900 Douglas Avenue, Urbandale
  • Format: Open-house style with topic stations staffed by Urbandale Parks & Recreation and the design team; brief overviews and Q&A available continuously.

Why Your Input Matters:

  • Validate what’s working and what needs refinement before the plan is finalized.
  • Help prioritize improvements aligned with community use.
  • Ensure the plan reflects real user experience across ages, abilities, and activities.

Can’t Attend? Share your feedback by contacting Urbandale Parks & Recreation at 515-278-3963 or parks-rec@urbandale.org

October 15, 2025 - Urbandale Plans Prescribed Burns to Improve Native Habitat This Fall

The City of Urbandale will conduct prescribed prairie burns at select natural areas this fall, weather permitting. Work will occur during specific wind and humidity windows over the next few weeks. Because weather conditions drive the schedule, temporary signs will be placed at each site ahead of ignition and removed after completion.

Initial locations include native areas in Walnut Creek Regional Park, Bent Creek Park, Bent Creek Ridge Park and near the Urbandale Public Library. Additional sites may be included as conditions allow. Short segments of adjacent trails may be closed during operations and reopened when it’s safe.

“Prescribed fire is one of the most effective, science-based tools we have for restoring native prairies and woodlands,” said Scott Hock, Assistant Director of Parks. “A carefully planned burn knocks back invasive species, returns nutrients to the soil, and sets the stage for stronger native grasses and wildflowers next growing season.”

Why prescribed burns?

A prescribed burn is a deliberately planned and closely controlled fire used by land managers to mimic natural fire cycles that many Iowa ecosystems depend on. Benefits include encouraging the growth of native grasses, wildflowers, and trees; improving wildlife habitat and plant diversity; reducing built-up dry vegetation; and restoring a more balanced and resilient natural environment. What residents can expect:

  • Burns proceed only within pre-defined thresholds for wind speed/direction, temperature, and humidity.
  • Same-day signage at each site. Signs and barriers will mark work zones; please avoid the area.
  • Brief, daytime operations. Most burns are completed within a few hours once conditions are right.
  • Visible smoke in the immediate area. Sensitive individuals may wish to close windows and limit outdoor activity during and shortly after the burn.
  • Professional oversight. A certified professional leads the work under a City-approved plan.
  • Trail closures where needed. Short sections may close for public safety and reopen promptly after mop-up is complete.
  • After-effects. Vegetation will appear blackened for a short time; residents can expect vigorous green regrowth in the spring.

Resident Contact:
Scott Hock, Assistant Director of Parks, phone: 515-331-6799 email: shock@urbandale.org

May 27, 2025 - Mosquito Control Program to Begin in June

Mosquito spraying in Urbandale neighborhoods is scheduled to begin in the month of June, weather permitting, and continue until Fall or when mosquito population thresholds are no longer exceeded. City staff will be treating area neighborhoods with EPA-approved mosquito control product between the hours of 9:00 PM to 5 AM.

Spraying will be done with City of Urbandale trucks, weather permitting, with no rain or winds over 10 miles per hour. All City trucks are white, with a blue diamond Urbandale logo, and will have an amber warning light blinking to alert residents that City staff are in the area.

While spraying reduces the mosquito population, it is still recommended that residents use mosquito repellent when outside early in the morning and late in the evening. You can do your part in the battle against mosquitos by eliminating sources of standing water such as disposing of old tires, any type of containers that collect and hold water, and maintaining gutters. Pet dish and bird bath water should be changed every two days.

City staff follows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended label rates of application and procedure for this product.  

New residents, residents with apiaries, or pollinator gardens that would like to opt-out of mosquito spraying near their home should e-mail their name and address to Scott Hock, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation, and Facilities at shock@urbandale.org. If you have called in before to ask to be placed on the no treatment list, we will still not treat in your immediate area. Residents with any questions concerning this program should contact the Urbandale Parks & Recreation Department at 515-331-6799.

February 5, 2025 - Community-Wide Book Club Kicks Off for 2025

The City of Urbandale has announced The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton as the 2025 selection for All Urbandale Reads, a citywide book club that unites the community through reading and discussion.

A Good Morning America Book Club pick and an NPR “Book We Love”, The Light Pirate is a gripping novel about resilience in a world reshaped by climate change. 

Told in four parts—power, water, light, and time—The Light Pirate mirrors the rhythms of the elements and the sometimes quick, sometimes slow dissolution of the world as we know it. It is a meditation on the changes we would rather not see, the future we would rather not greet, and a call back to the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness. 

Florida is slipping away. As devastating weather patterns and rising sea levels wreak gradual havoc on the state’s infrastructure, a powerful hurricane approaches a small town on the southeastern coast. Kirby Lowe, an electrical line worker, his pregnant wife, Frida, and their two sons, Flip and Lucas, prepare for the worst. When the boys go missing just before the hurricane hits, Kirby heads out into the high winds in search of his children. Left alone, Frida goes into premature labor and gives birth to an unusual child, Wanda, whom she names after the catastrophic storm that ushers her into a society closer to collapse than ever before.
 
 As Florida continues to unravel, Wanda grows. Moving from childhood to adulthood, adapting not only to the changing landscape, but also to the people who stayed behind in a place abandoned by civilization, Wanda loses family, gains community, and ultimately, seeks adventure, love, and purpose in a place remade by nature. —provided by the publisher. 

In addition to two community book discussions in May and September, the Urbandale Public Library will host a special guest speaker in October on the topic of climate change resilience.

Anyone who attends an All Urbandale Reads event in 2025 can enter a prize drawing for a Barnes and Noble gift card. 

The All Urbandale Reads program is sponsored by the Urbandale Library Foundation, whose generous support provides multiple copies of the title for check out, as well as covering the costs for speakers and prizes.

Visit our website for more details www.urbandalelibrary.org/all-urbandale-reads or sign up for the library’s newsletter for the latest updates.