WAUPACA, Wis. (WFRV) – Since their opening in 1999, the ball fields at Swan Park have featured grass infields. But that will soon change thanks to a new renovation project — fully backed by community support — that will replace the grass with dirt infields by the 2026 season.

“We are starting to see more and more communities have fields set up to play at different dimensions, and we want to have that here in Waupaca,” said Waupaca Youth Baseball President Kyle Douglas. “So it’s going to open up a lot of opportunities for how we can play here, more tournaments that we can host, and it can bring in a different group of teams that are looking to play in those dimensions.”

The renovation will also allow Waupaca Area Youth Softball to host more events. Amanda Kraus, the program’s coordinator, emphasized how important the upgrades are for softball-specific play.

“For softball, typically we have all-dirt infields — there’s no grass,” Kraus said. “While these fields are really beautiful and fun to play on, it’s really nice to have tournaments where we can have four games going at once. We’re really excited to have all-dirt infields because that’s truly what we play on.”

The project is being funded entirely through donations from families and local businesses. Naming rights were offered as part of the fundraising effort, with several tiers of contributions:

Home Run — $25,000+ (15 years of field naming rights)

• Waupaca Foundry
• Faulks Brothers Construction

Triple — $10,000 (10 years of dugout naming rights)

• Badgerland Restoration & Remodeling
• Neuville Motors
• Energys USA, Inc.
• Premier Community Bank
• Farmers State Bank
• Waupaca Baseball Organization
• Bank First

Double — $5,000 (5 years of batting cage naming rights)

• Turners Fresh Market

Single — $1,000+ (Donor board recognition)

• RE/MAX Lyons Real Estate
• Riverhill Dental of Waupaca
• Everson Family
• Ihm Family

John Faulks, president of Faulks Brothers Construction, shared his pride in being part of the project again after being involved in the park’s original construction 25 years ago.

“When Faulks Brothers was presented with the renovation plans for Swan Park, we were excited to be part of this transformation, just as we were 25 years ago,” said Faulks. “Swan Park has always been an exceptional community space, and it continues to improve thanks to the dedication of the Waupaca community and its neighbors. This project will leave a lasting impact for the next 25 years and beyond.”

Rob Johnson, CFO of Waupaca Foundry, said the project speaks volumes about the park’s value to the community.

“It’s awesome — this is going to be amazing,” Johnson said. “You can come here five days a week. It’s 9 o’clock in the morning and a few fields are being utilized right now, and in the evening all four are booked until 9 or 10 at night. So it’s an awesome project, and we’re excited to see it complete.”

For Waupaca Mayor Brian Smith, it’s a full-circle moment.

“I participated, my kids participated, my grandkids are participating out here at Swan Park,” said Smith. “Every person who has participated, or has someone who participates and comes out to this field, just has rave reviews about Swan Park. This is just going to make it better.”

The renovations will begin after the men’s softball league season ends in August and are expected to be completed in time for the spring 2026 season.