Press release from the City of Eureka:

On Saturday, September 13, 2025 the community celebrated the grand opening of Da’ Yas “Where the Cypress Are” Park located between Buhne St. and W. Henderson St. and between California St. and Union St. The event, hosted by the City of Eureka Community Services Department, featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, community painted mural, free ice cream, scavenger hunt, games, sports demonstrations, and free bike valet.

The four-acre neighborhood park received a $6.4 million grant from California State Parks, Prop 68 Statewide Parks Program, Round 3. Prior to improvements, the space was largely undeveloped, the condition had visibly deteriorated, and was lacking basic amenities needed to serve the community. The revitalized park now features a custom egret and watershed themed all-inclusive playground, multi-use sports courts, new parking and restrooms, fitness equipment, accessible pathways, grass play area for volleyball and soccer, new plaza on Union St. as well as upgrades to Jacob Haney Ball Field.

Park History

Previously named 20/30 Park, the City of Eureka opened the park in 1953 through the assistance, both financially and physically of the Twenty-Thirty Club of Eureka. Though no longer active in Eureka, the Twenty-Thirty club functioned as a service club for 20-30-year-old men. The park we know today is a direct result of their past investments in supporting city parks and we celebrate their history and impact on our community.

Visionary Planning

The thoughtful park design includes features for all abilities and can be attributed to the brilliant creative minds at Melton Design Group (MDG), the landscape architects behind this project. Based out of Chico, CA, MDG worked with the community to transform a blank slate into a community asset that beautifully blends artful form and functionality. Every design element was intentional, from curving pathways to connect all aspects of the park to sight lines for parents that allow clear visibility whether children are on the little league field or on the playground, and inclusive access to play pieces such as wheel devices being able to roll directly onto the playground structure. Custom made by Landscape Structures for this park project, the egret playground is one of a kind and does not exist anywhere else in the world. The egret emerged as the park’s central symbol, reflecting its widespread presence in the local environment. This careful attention to detail and innovation not only creates a visually appealing park, but also ensures it serves the diverse needs of the community for years to come.

A local community member said, “This park is a wonderful addition to our neighborhood. We are grateful to be able to be within walking distance to the park. It is ADA accessible for my son and all the other kiddos with special healthcare needs. We have been four times in the past week. It was needed for our neighborhood. There are a lot of grateful families, thank you!”

Renaming With the park slated to receive major improvements, an opportunity was provided to consult the community about the park’s identity. The first renaming survey shared information about the origin of the park and its current name. A majority of respondents supported renaming the park. Survey respondents were also provided the opportunity to suggest possible names. The majority of the respondents expressed a desire for the park to have a Wiyot name. In consultation with the Wiyot Tribe, a list of possible park names was provided translated into Soulatluk. The final renaming decision was placed in the hands of Eureka’s residents. By survey, the community chose Da’ Yas Park - “Where the Cypress Are”.

A New Era

The park welcomed over 1,000 visitors from the community during the Grand Opening party. HumBubbles, a group of local volunteers, brought a magical touch to the park with bubbles. Local muralist, Mir De Silva, led a collaborative paint-by-number mural on the restroom, allowing community members to leave their mark by painting their own section. The Coalition for Responsible Transportation, offered a free bike valet service to ensure all who biked to the park had a safe place to leave their bike. Local sports leagues, Humboldt Soccer and Humboldt Hockey, performed sports demonstrations of futsal and roller hockey on the multi-sport court attracting many enthusiastic spectators.

Robin Praszker, Project Manager, said, “This unprecedented level of investment in our city parks system marks a transformative moment for both the immediate neighborhood and the broader community. Da’ Yas is more than just a park, this is a space for community and connection.”