You’re never too old to ride a slip and slide, especially one that’s 1,000 feet long.
This Saturday, Slide the City is throwing a party in Tucson complete with food, music, fun and a gigantic slip and slide, and they’re inviting the whole town. Children and adults alike can have a chance to take the slide of their life at this traveling water park and block party hybrid that is unlike any other.
“As soon as I read [Slide the City] was coming to Tucson, I was super excited,” said resident Amy Lake. “Seriously, how often do you get the chance to slide down a 1,000-foot water slide?”
Lake already purchased her slide ticket and is bringing along her partner and 6-month-old daughter.
For those interested in sliding, participants must be at least 5 years old, 46 inches tall and must slide on an inner tube. There are three different ticket options that are available to sliders based on how many times they want to ride: the Single Slider, Triple Slider and Super Slider. Instead of a specific number of slides, Super Slider ticket holders are given a 3-hour time span to slide as much as they can, which normally comes out to between five and seven slides. Tickets can be purchased either online before the event at slidethecity.com or in person Saturday.
With every ticket purchase, participants will receive a drawstring bag and a mouthguard, but the Triple and Super Sliders will also receive a tube to use for their rides. Those who are not given a tube must purchase their own or bring a tube from home. Regardless of their chosen ticket option, participants are encouraged to bring their favorite tubes from home to show off during their slide.
“People will get crazy that way,” said Emily Sanchez, the event coordinator for Slide the City. “We’ve seen giant swans, we’ve seen pizza slices, all different kinds of crazy inflatables.”
For those who don’t want to take the 1,000-foot journey but still want to experience the day’s events, spectators are always welcome. Onlookers don’t have to pay a fee and can enjoy watching the hundreds of participants slip down the street. There will also be various food trucks and vendors for the spectators and sliders to check out, and the Slide the City crew will provide music.
Slide the City has only existed for a little over a year, so this will be the event’s first time being hosted in Tucson. The event was created by the organization who hosts The Dirty Dash Mud Run. They wanted to create a new event that was unlike anything else, so they settled on a massive slip and slide. The slide has already visited Fountain Hills, Arizona, Flagstaff and Phoenix, and has been met with overwhelming success all across the country.
There are three identical slides that are used for the events and transported around the country in order for multiple Slide the Cty events to take place simultaneously.
This coming weekend, all three slides will be in operation: one will be in Huntsville, Alabama, another in Decatur, Georgia, and the third here in Tucson. Each looks to attract between 800 and 1400 attendees.
Bringing a humongous slip and slide to the middle of a city isn’t the easiest of tasks and the crew has to go through meticulous planning and coordinating with each city’s government before every Slide the City event.
Sanchez explained that the crew puts in a lot of effort to ensure that each event is a great experience for those who attend, and the process is rewarding.
“Each city has their own vibe, and it’s really fun to see that and to see a city’s personality come out,” Sanchez said.
So break out the sunscreen and bathing suits, hold onto your flip flops and get ready for the slipperiest ride of your life.
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