On the south side of 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road, a tall wall of granite rises up toward Granite Shoals City Hall. The covered sports complex at the bottom of the hill used to be a quarry building. Between now and Thanksgiving, almost every public event on the city calendar happens on this one piece of land.
Quarry Park covers more than 130 acres. DailyTrib calls it the largest piece of public property in Granite Shoals and the city's main event venue. City Hall is on the same parcel. That's why so much of the town's fall comes back to one address, and why the city's newest projects are being added here rather than somewhere else.
A quarry building with a pickleball court inside
The Visit Granite Shoals page for the park says the Quarry Park Sports Complex was "repurposed from a former granite quarry building." The city built it out with a $500,000 grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Under the roof are two pickleball courts, two tennis courts, basketball hoops, a volleyball net, indoor and outdoor soccer fields, and batting cages. Because it's covered, games and classes like Zumba can go on through a Hill Country downpour or an August afternoon.
The rest of the park is quieter. The city's facility listing adds a bike trail, a pavilion, picnic areas, a playground, restrooms and walking trails. DailyTrib's 2025 coverage put the hiking trails at more than a mile.
The bird-watching station by the pond is easy to miss. It has angled glass windows and indoor seating for about 25 people. Highland Lakes Texas Master Naturalists paid for it and donated it to the city, according to DailyTrib's 2017 report on its opening. Keep that history in mind for the amphitheater section below. People outside City Hall's budget have been adding things to this park for close to a decade.
One address, nearly every date until Thanksgiving
The other big civic room in town is the Community Center at 1208 N. Phillips Ranch Road. The city calendar lists it as closed to public use from Oct. 16 through Nov. 3 while it serves as an early-voting site. So for the rest of the season, most gatherings are at Quarry Park.
The city had already booked the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus at Quarry Park for Saturday, Oct. 17, with shows at 2 and 4:30 p.m. That kicked off the fall schedule before this week. Here's what's left, taken from the city's own listings:
- Citywide cleanup, Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 a.m. to noon. The calendar listing gives the location only as Granite Shoals.
- Trunk or Treat, Friday, Oct. 30, 6 to 8 p.m., Quarry Park. It's the evening before Halloween, at 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road.
- Parks Advisory Committee, Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 p.m.
- Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11. The calendar lists City Hall as closed that day.
- Christmas Outreach BBQ Fundraiser, Saturday, Nov. 14, all day, at the Fire Station. It's the one event on this list that isn't at the quarry.
- Santa Dash and Christmas Tree Lighting, Saturday, Nov. 21, 6 to 8 p.m., Quarry Park.
- City Council, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 6 p.m.
The Santa Dash keeps changing its route
The holiday parade shows how one event can take a different shape each year and still end up back at the quarry.
2024: a loop through the neighborhood parks
DailyTrib's 2024 coverage describes golf carts and UTVs riding through city streets. The parade stopped at Bluebriar, Crockett and Valley View parks, then came back to Quarry Park and City Hall for a 6 p.m. tree lighting.
2025: an afternoon start at City Hall
Last year the event moved earlier in the day. DailyTrib reported that the Santa Dash Golf Cart Parade would leave from City Hall on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, with staging at 2:30 p.m. and the parade rolling at 3 p.m. The tree lighting and photos with Santa in Quarry Park came right after.
2026: back to evening
This year's city calendar lists the Santa Dash and tree lighting from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 21. That's closer to the 2024 schedule than last year's afternoon start. The listing doesn't give a parade route or a staging time yet. Before you start stringing lights on a golf cart, check the city's announcements for 2026 parade details. One thing has stayed the same every year: the tree is at Quarry Park, next to City Hall.
The next addition is named after a hiking name
The park's next project goes back to that granite wall. On Jan. 13, 2026, City Council accepted a $175,000 donation from the Hudson Family to design and build an outdoor amphitheater at Quarry Park. Council also approved naming rights under the city's donation policy. The Proton Amphitheater will sit right next to City Hall, on the steep south side of the property.
DailyTrib reported that donor Andrew Hudson, a Granite Shoals landowner, explained the name at the meeting:
"So proton is my hiking name; I'm a huge chemistry nerd."
DailyTrib also quoted Hudson describing the gift as "an investment in the city." According to the same report, the money was to be deposited into a restricted capital project account. That lets a project the city hadn't funded move ahead without committing other city dollars for now. Future operating and maintenance costs will go into the Parks Department's annual budget.
The idea came up before the donation did. In June 2025, DailyTrib covered a city survey asking residents about Quarry Park priorities. An amphitheater or music venue was on the list of options, along with disc golf, a splash pad, baseball and football fields, and nature observation areas.
On July 28, 2026, the city applied for state money for the park. Council approved applying to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Local Park Grant Program for Quarry Park improvements, including the amphitheater. DailyTrib reported that a grant could cover up to $750,000. The city would match it, for a total of up to $1.5 million. This is the city's second try. Its 2025 application wasn't selected, but it scored competitively and TPWD encouraged Granite Shoals to apply again.
City Manager Sarah Novo explained to DailyTrib what the city's half could include:
"The city's match may include budgeted funds, donations, and eligible in-kind contributions such as professional services, engineering and design assistance, volunteer labor, donated materials, and equipment use."
The park has been built this way before. A state grant paid for the quarry building's conversion into a sports complex, and a naturalist group paid for the bird station. The amphitheater now has a resident's donation behind it and a state grant application in progress. When the city accepted the donation in January, it released no construction timeline, design details or projected completion date.
What to know before you head out to the turf
The synthetic turf soccer fields are the one open item to watch. DailyTrib reported in July that paint from a private rental event damaged the fields. They closed July 8 and reopened while turf specialists worked on a repair plan. The city said it expected another temporary closure for the repairs and promised as much advance notice as possible. If you play on those fields this fall, keep an eye on city notices.
The next public city meetings on the calendar are the Parks Advisory Committee on Nov. 5 and City Council on Nov. 24, both at 6 p.m.
At McAlister Realty, we follow Granite Shoals' parks the way our neighbors do: what's on the calendar this month, and what's being built for the years ahead. If you'd like to talk about how places like Quarry Park shape life on this side of Lake LBJ, Tara is glad to sit down with you. Request a Market Consultation.
