Polk County will purchase Sleepy Hollow Sports Park, county officials and the park's longtime owners, Rick and Mary Flatt,announced in a news release this weekend.
The 76-acre facility opened in 1994on Des Moines' east side, at 4051 Dean Ave.
Sleepy Hollow is a central Iowa favorite for tubing and sledding in the winter and forRenaissance fairs, festivals, comedy shows and concerts in the summer. Each fall, Sleepy Hollow'sRenaissance Faire Park turns into a Halloween attraction and the surrounding forest becomes a haunted trail. Taylor Swift once even performed there early in her career.
The Flatts will continue to run all operations through the end of 2022.In 2023, Polk County Conservation will operate the winter sports facility. The Flatts will run camping operations and special events, including the Kosmic Kingdom music festival, the Renaissance Faires and the Scream Park. Polk County will run all operations beginning in 2024.