The Choctaw Lazy River will be debuting on Friday, June 10 as part of a special event, as Dr Pepper Ballpark hosts Dirk Nowitzki’s 2016 Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game. Its first run during a Frisco RoughRiders (Class AA; Texas League) game will occur on Saturday, June 11, when the RoughRiders return for the beginning of a nine-game, eight-day homestand.
Dirk Nowitzki christened the Choctaw Lazy River on Thursday, calling it “awesome” after floating around the 400-foot figure-eight. Nowitzki and a handful of his Heroes teammates were able to test drive the lazy river following a team practice on Thursday afternoon.
The public will have its first chance to enter the Choctaw Lazy River on Friday. During a contest on Thursday, the RoughRiders gave away free passes for Friday’s game to a lucky fan who used the hashtag “#RidingtheLazyRiver” on Twitter.
Now filled with over 68,000 gallons of water and complete with 18-foot water curtains and a 113-linear-foot water fall, the Choctaw Lazy River is the largest body of water in a professional sports venue. The lazy river itself is large enough to fit over 1 million baseballs and nearly a half-million bottles of Dr Pepper.
The much-anticipated project, featuring the lazy river as part of a larger 12,000-square-foot outfield party and group hospitality area, has received incredible local, regional, and national media attention.Darren Rovell of ESPN suggested that the “new lazy river that the team is building should solidify” the RoughRiders’ status as the top-drawing team in Double-A baseball. Media personalities across the country, including MLB Network’s Kevin Millar and TMZ’s Van Lathan, expressed interest in visiting Frisco to take a dip.
The new area will be the most all-inclusive gameday hospitality experience in the entire DFW market. Groups of 25-200 are eligible to reserve part or all of the Lazy River and Cabana Bar & Patio. No matter the size of the group, all Choctaw Lazy River guests will enjoy full 360-degree river access, a 2 1/2-hour all-you-can-eat buffet, complimentary Dr Pepper products, and a pair of RoughRiders sunglasses. Beer and wine is included for groups that purchase either the Cabana Bar & Patio or the entire area.