Eleven-year-old Hazel’s interest was piqued when she walked by a few kinetic sand tables outside of a place that had ping-pong, pool and foosball tables inside while she was on a walk in downtown Lafayette with her mom and brother. 

    “I asked what this place was and got invited to come inside and play, so we did,” Hazel explained as she pieced together a beaded bracelet while her brother sharpened his pool shot with the help of Grace Dixon, the co-founder of All Ages Recreation Downtown. “I love how it’s so open and it has inside and outside space that you can gather with your family or neighbors.”

    This kind of feedback affirms the vision that Dixon and her daughter Eden Hall had when they brought their grand idea of free fun and an all ages rec center to life. 

    In 2023, Dixon and Hall started offering pop-up fun in public spaces and events like Rock the Plaza, Trick-or-Treat Street and just random, feel-good Sundays in under-utilized parking lots. The first year they did a few dozen events, the second year, the number doubled and the concept kept growing until they served (or played with) 10,000 people. 

    When Dixon’s daughter returned to Princeton that fall, she used the data to make the case for the formation of a nonprofit centered around accessible and free recreational fun for all, while Dixon found an old beauty salon situated in the center of downtown Lafayette to house the fun. With the help of friends, Dixon spent 38 days renovating the space into what is now an all ages rec space, open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 3561-A Mt. Diablo Blvd. 

    “The FAQs are: Is it free? Yes. Is it for all ages? Yes. Do I have to sign in? No. Do I have to pay a membership fee? No,” Dixon explained.
    So, why bring this gem of a rec center to the heart of downtown?  

    “The downtown resident income is half as anywhere else in Lafayette, downtown residents are twice as diverse as anywhere else in Lafayette, and not shockingly, downtown has the greatest density,” Dixon explained. “This is where we need to have recreational fun.”

    Downtown is where the nearly 30% of Lafayette residents who are renters reside. This stat coincides with the number of rent-burdened households or households who spend more than a third of their income on rent in Lafayette. Dixon remembers navigating rent and child-rearing in Lafayette back when she was a single mom. 

    “I used to have a piece of paper that I would move from apartment to apartment, and stick to the fridge that said ‘free fun’,” Dixon said. “Even with a good income, it took everything just to raise my son in Lafayette. I swore after the birth of my second and then my third that I would do everything I could to make free fun possible for all ages.” 

    It’s also timely that free fun for all ages is available with expanded hours of playtime now that the school year has ended and summer vacation has commenced. A Gallup poll indicated that around 45% of youth lack access to summer engagement activities due to cost. Dixon hopes that the All Ages Recreation Downtown Den and Gallery equipped with ping-pong, pool, board games, outdoor kinetic sand, Legos and jewelry making stations can help bridge the gap and keep people engaged, connected, off their phones and having fun.

    “If people want to help, the best thing they can do is come and play here,” Dixon says. “That way we can show that there is interest in grants.”
    Dixon says the free fun even helps the local economy. “If people are able to do something here downtown for fun, they might want to visit a local shop or get lunch,” she noted. “And that’s good for everyone.” 

    For other budget friendly fun in Lafayette, the Town Hall Theatre has a variety of classes with scholarships and payment plans available. In the meantime, Dixon would be thrilled to see folks show up at 3561-A Mt. Diablo Blvd. for a game, a craft, a conversation, an unlikely connection and just some good old-fashioned in-person fun. 

    For more information, visit https://allagesplay.org/