A couple of dozen children cheered as they ran in the drizzling rain through a decorated paper banner on Saturday in Excelsior, signifying a grand opening years in the making for the west metro town.

The City of Excelsior is divided by Hwy 7. There are several public parks north of the highway, but south of the highway — where the majority of the city’s residents live — there were no public parks.

That is, until Saturday, with the grand opening of the “So-Hi Community Park”.

The playground was built on property donated by nearby Excelsior United Methodist Church after Pastor Brooke Heerwald Steiner noticed the grassy space and extra parking lot had become a makeshift playground over the last few years.

“We noticed there was nowhere for people to go in this neighborhood. Our parking lot was full, which is great, but it’s not the safest place for young kids to play,” Heerwald Steiner remarked at the grand opening ceremony.

“And so, that’s when the conversations started to happen of how can we make this happen?”

Then, in early 2023, Sarah Nelson — a parent living south of the highway — took the reigns on establishing the So-Hi Community Park non-profit and fundraising to build the more than $300,000 playground.

It was a brand new experience for Nelson.

“The first experience with the non-profit world and playgrounds, and how much they are,” Nelson laughed, referencing the cost of the project.

“It’s a long road.”

Nelson thanked a number local organizations that donated and fulfilled grants to bring the imagined project to life, including the initial roughly $85,000 investment by the Excelsior Morning Rotary Club.

“I’m super grateful for the community that we live in and that they prioritize children, and play, and fun connections with other neighbors,” Nelson said. “Yeah, feeling very grateful.”

The non-profit has more plans for the park, including adding in more shade and seating, particularly for adults watching their kids play. Those additions are expected next summer, Nelson said.