Derby's largest parks project opens to the public Thursday, Oct. 15, with a ribbon cutting and community celebration at the expanded Decarsky Park.

The $18 million Phase II expansion expanded the sports complex at the 63-acre park.. New features include four ball fields, batting cages, a practice field, an adaptive field for people with disabilities, two playgrounds and a roughly 5,000-square-foot concession building with a full kitchen. The park now has eight ballfields plus an adaptive play field, making it a regional sports complex for youth baseball and softball tournaments, according to the city's event listing.

Eric Newell, Derby's director of parks, told the Wichita Eagle in an Oct. 11 preview that the expansion is what Derby’s parks director described as likely the department’s largest project.

"By adding four more fields, we now are able to host substantially larger tournaments, and we're hopefully hoping to be able to bring in some good tournaments into the Wichita area," Newell said in the preview. "This is a critical thing to the community."

The Derby Recreation Commission will operate the facility. The concession building includes restrooms, long tables for teams and TVs live-streaming each field. Beer will be sold on-site to help offset operating costs.

The Derby City Council approved a cereal malt beverage license for the park on Aug. 11, according to council minutes, after the facility passed its final fire inspection on July 29.

The adaptive field near the park entrance is another highlight. In the Oct. 11 preview, Newell said the city is exploring off-season uses for the space, including a possible ice rink or pumpkin patch.

The entire project is funded by the Derby Difference Sales Tax, a one-cent tax that took effect Jan. 1, 2025, and runs through Dec. 31, 2034. Forty-five percent of that revenue goes to the city's parks and trails. Newell noted in the Eagle preview that the tax is paid by anyone who shops in Derby, not just residents.

Phase I, completed in 2021, included construction of a 3-acre dog park, four ball fields and a concession stand.

The ribbon cutting begins at 5:15 p.m. at 1600 E. Line Dr. The celebration runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and doubles as Derby's final Third Thursday event of 2026.

Activities include a trunk-or-treat hosted by the Derby Chamber of Commerce and Derby Police Department, the fourth annual Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest at 6:30 p.m. and Derby Market vendors and food trucks.

Derby's next community market is the Winter Market on Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Madison Avenue Central Park.