By Ally Azzarelli
On August 14, the Artesia Recreation Center officially opened in Artesia, New Mexico, marking the start of a new chapter in recreation, wellness, and community connection for the region.
The grand opening was a full day to honor and celebrate the people and partnerships that brought the facility to life, introduce the center to the community, and revive a back-to-school tradition that families had missed.
By the time the doors opened at 4 p.m. for the Back-to-School Bash, a line wrapped around the building. More than 2,500 people attended, and 100 memberships were sold within the first three hours, an immediate sign that Artesia was ready to claim the center as its own
A Milestone Worth Celebrating
The day began with an invitation-only VIP event for city officials, community partners, donors, project stakeholders, and invited guests. Held from 10 a.m. to noon, the morning included refreshments, formal remarks, guided tours, and the official ribbon-cutting.
The ceremony recognized the many people who helped move the project from vision to reality, and included the following speakers, Sandra Borges, president of the Artesia Recreation Center Foundation; José Zelaya, vice president and senior architect at Huitt-Zollars; Shad James, CEO of Jaynes Corporation; Steve Lions, senior vice president of strategic growth at SFC; Jon Henry, former mayor of Artesia and New Mexico state representative; Jeff Youtsey, mayor of the City of Artesia; and Peyton Yates, founder and president of the PY Foundation.
A New, Welcoming Third Place for Artesia
The Artesia Recreation Center was created to expand access to fitness, sports, programming, events, and gathering space for residents of all ages. The approximately 50,000-square-foot, two-story facility brings a wide range of recreation opportunities under one roof.
The center includes three full-size basketball courts with the flexibility to host volleyball and pickleball, a membership fitness center, meeting and multipurpose rooms, locker rooms, Kid Watch, and grab-and-go concessions. Upstairs, visitors can find an indoor playground, digital fitness instruction, and a running and walking track.
Each space was designed with a practical goal in mind: to make it easier for people to move, play, learn, connect, and spend time together. Whether a family is visiting for a youth sports clinic, a resident is beginning a new fitness routine, or a community group needs a place to gather, the center is built to support a broad range of needs.
For Sandra Borges, executive director of the Artesia Recreation Center Foundation, that sense of ownership is central to the project’s purpose.
“Seeing families, children, and community partners fill the Artesia Recreation Center made this opening truly meaningful,” Borges said. “This facility gives Artesia a place to gather, stay active, and grow together for years to come.”
Bringing Back a Back-to-School Tradition
The celebration continued that afternoon with the Grand Opening Back-to-School Bash, a free, family-friendly event held from 4 to 7 p.m. The event welcomed the broader Artesia community to experience the new facility in a relaxed, energetic setting as the school year began.
The Bash included a DJ and live music, free youth sports clinics, bounce houses, food trucks, yard games, local vendors, giveaways, and activities for children and adults. Community partners helped create an atmosphere that felt both celebratory and familiar, a true invitation for residents to see themselves in the new center and imagine the many ways they will use it in the years ahead.
The response extended beyond Artesia. Families traveled from surrounding communities to see the new facility, and some visitors told SFC’s events team, “I wish we had something similar in our city.” Inside and outside the building, kids played together across the playground, courts, STEM labs, and outdoor spaces, making the opening exactly what a community recreation center should be: active, welcoming, and full of possibility.
A self-guided passport program added another layer of discovery. Families could move throughout the building, explore spaces including the basketball courts, pickleball area, fitness center, Kid Watch, indoor playground, and walking track, and collect stamps along the way. Completed passports were entered into a sweepstakes drawing, turning a facility tour into an interactive experience for guests of all ages.
The event also held special meaning for the community because Artesia had previously hosted a back-to-school celebration that had been on hold for a while. Bringing it back at the new recreation center connected the facility’s grand opening to something residents already valued: gathering to celebrate local children, families, and the start of a new school year.
“It was one of our most successful grand openings,” said Alize Farhat, Director of Events at SFC. “Seeing the line wrap around the building, with families from the community waiting to see their new recreation center, there’s nothing quite like it. You can see pure joy on the kids’ faces as they walk in and see what the city built for them. This is what we do, and this is why we do it.”
From Project Vision to Opening Day
For SFC, the grand opening represented the culmination of years of planning, coordination, procurement, and preparation. Through its venue planning and FF&E procurement work, SFC’s development team supported the project from early planning in January 2024 through final construction coordination, equipment and furniture installation, turnover preparation, and opening readiness.
That work included aligning the facility’s design with operational needs, coordinating with the owner, architect, contractor, and operations stakeholders, and managing the details required to move the project toward launch. The result is a venue designed to function effectively for the community every day.
“A grand opening is like passing the torch,” said John Sparks, SFC Senior Vice President of Venue Management. “SFC’s job now is to make sure this facility runs the way Artesia deserves—every class, every court booking, every login at the front desk. We’re grateful to the PY Foundation and the city for trusting us with that.”
That commitment is at the heart of SFC’s approach to facility management and development. Opening day is an important milestone, but it is only the beginning. Success will be measured in the daily experiences that follow: the first practice, the first lap around the track, the first new membership, and the countless moments when residents come together because they have a place to do so.
A Place to Grow Together
The Artesia Recreation Center now stands as a new community destination alongside the nearby Artesia Aquatic Center, expanding the city’s recreation offerings and creating more opportunities for residents to lead active, connected lives.
Its grand opening brought the vision into focus. City leaders, project partners, donors, staff, families, and community members gathered under one roof to celebrate what had been built and the exciting moments to come.
As Artesia moves forward, the center is ready to welcome the community through every season: for sports and fitness, celebrations and learning, childhood memories and everyday routines. This new facility provides a space where Artesia can gather, stay active, and grow together.
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