Community Corner

Dunes Water Park Kicks Off Summer Fun in Newport Beach

The Memorial Day weekend opening of the Dunes Water Park marks the unofficial start of summer in Newport Beach.

By Naomi Lichtner

In Newport Beach, it’s the Memorial Day beach crowds that herald the unofficial start of summer, and it’s the opening of the Moe B. Dunes Water Park that kicks off Memorial Day weekend.

On a breezy summer day, people storm the local beaches, heading down Pacific Coast Highway to claim their patch of sun and sand. To skip past the Newport Dunes Marina Resort is to skip past another part of what makes this area ubiquitous with summer fun.

“People love to sit out and be with their families [here],” Rick Vara, director of the RV park, reception and housekeeping.

Tucked away in the Newport Back Bay, the Dunes has been designated as a recreation area for 55 years with it’s serene expanse of sand, water and Spanish-style buildings set beneath palm trees. The newest addition to the Resort is the Moe B. Dunes Water Park, which is set to open daily starting Memorial Day weekend. The Park has existed since 2009, with varying attractions every summer season. Starting at 10 a.m., guests can purchase an hourly, half-day or full-day pass.

The water park’s bright blue and yellow inflatable equipment is much like an obstacle course, with a jumping pad, rope climb, slides and a jump-off point for daredevils. It floats on the still, waveless water with a view of the Back Bay itself as a backdrop. However, guests are sure to cause some ripples with some serious cannonballs as the hot days of summer approach.

About 4,500 people usually visit the park during the summer, says a representative of the Dunes. The water park is just one of the attractions at the relatively small expanse of the resort. Its calendar of events emphasizes family programming and beachy pastimes.

“It is very family-oriented because we are enclosed, and we have security 24/7,” said Sherri Basta, manager of the marketplace and water sports. This protection makes the space unique, offering a slice of life where families can truly enjoy themselves, she added. Guests can enjoy themselves with kayaks, paddleboats, sailboats and pretty much every other low-key sport that finds itself at home at the beach. The resort also hosts cultural festivals, crafts, Karaoke contests and movie nights on the beach.

“It becomes a generation to generation thing,” said Vara.“[People] came here when they were kids...then they bring their kids and come as grandparents. It is a home-away-from-home for a lot of people.”

At the Moe B. Dunes Water Park kids and their parents alike don life jackets and brave the shallow water. The old-fashioned fun of the place stands out, and separates it from the crowded Corona del Mar and Newport Beaches so close by. Guests can bounce from the water park to the trails of the Newport Back Bay Preserve to the acclaimed Back Bay Bistro restaurant.  


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