Grapevine is Growing Into a Sports Tournament Destination

In May 2025, the NCCAA Softball World Series was held at the Oak Grove Softball Complex in Grapevine, Texas. This was the first tournament of a three-year agreement with the NCCAA, and the partnership started off strong. The success of this tournament reflects decades of commitment by the Grapevine Parks and Recreation Department to provide quality experiences to residents and visitors alike.   

“We are always in pursuit of quality events and partners,” says Trent Kelley, Deputy Director of the Grapevine Parks and Recreation Department. “We host great baseball events here and are actively working to bring softball events to the area.”

The Parks and Rec Department works closely with Grapevine Economic Development and the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). Together, they attract tournaments and tourists to Grapevine from across the United States while ensuring that visiting teams have great experiences throughout their time in the City.

Successful Tournaments Have Significant Economic Impacts

While the Parks and Rec department is focused on creating exceptional facilities for residents, the CVB and economic development team bring visitors to Grapevine. Every event has a quantifiable impact that benefits the community. A 2021 study found that a single baseball tournament had an economic impact of nearly $3 million on Grapevine. The study found 75% of visitors came from outside Grapevine and the average visitor stayed for 4.21 days.

“Events that bring people to Grapevine fill hotel rooms and increase the revenue of local businesses,” says Garin Giacomarro, Director of Grapevine Economic Development. “Our 2021 study found the average person spent $53 per day in Grapevine on food, retail, and entertainment. They spent $120 per night on hotels on average.”

Not only can Grapevine residents see their favorite businesses succeed with greater foot traffic from tournaments, but they also benefit from the tax revenue. The more Grapevine is known as a tourist community, the greater the tax burden is lifted from residents. In neighboring Dallas, residents enjoy an annual savings of $1,203 per household because of taxes collected from tourists. 

The Parks and Rec Department Prioritizes Residents 

When discussing tournament events in Grapevine, Kelley says his main goal is to create positive experiences for residents. The Parks and Rec team exists to serve the community, which means developing and maintaining facilities that Grapevine families want to use. The department works with tournament organizers that can meet these needs.

“Our current goal is to attract more women’s sports tournaments to enhance our offering for girls here,” says Kelley. “This way, the local girls’ recreation league can see firsthand what competitive women’s sports look like. They can meet the players, throw out first pitches, and serve as bat girls, and hopefully become participants in these events.”

Tournaments benefit residents by creating fun and meaningful experiences, while also providing economic support to the City of Grapevine.

Grapevine Focuses on Quality Tournament Partners

Along with searching for events and tournaments that benefit the community, Kelley and his team are committed to working with organizers who will allow Grapevine to shine. Some event planners want rapid turnaround times between games or events, which prevents the city from maintaining its grounds and cleaning its complexes.

“We’re looking for tournament partners who allow us to provide the highest quality facilities,” says Kelley. “That was our focus on the NCCAA. We wanted the players to have a national championship-level experience.”

From offering quality concessions to ensuring the lighting, drainage, and turf meet the highest level of expectations, the Parks and Rec team recognizes how important positive tournament experiences are to the community.

“We are always asking how to make the experience better,” he adds. “We want people to say the best place they’ve played is in Grapevine.”

Grapevine is in the Top 1% of Parks and Rec Departments

Commitment to quality isn’t new to the Parks and Rec team. Grapevine is one of the few parks departments to receive national accreditation through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). In 2020, it earned accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA), joining the ranks of an elite group of parks teams.

As of 2020, more than 23,000 agencies nationwide were eligible for CAPRA accreditation, but only 183 had completed the process. Grapevine started working toward accreditation in 2018 and eventually proved it complied with 151 recognized standards to offer top-notch services that benefit the community. In June 2025, the department was reaccredited by CAPRA, meeting 100% of the standards.

Grapevine boasts 13 baseball and softball fields and two soccer complexes. It already has a large number of fields and facilities to accommodate tournaments. Some aspects of the CAPRA certification highlight best practices on how field and event conditions are maintained to meet or exceed visitor expectations for quality, accessibility, and safety.

Residents Can Support Economic Development in Grapevine

Getting involved in economic development is easier than most people think. In Grapevine, you can support your community by enjoying the local parks and attending fun tournaments and events. When you meet visitors from other parts of the country, offer restaurant recommendations or share your favorite activities around town. This allows you to support your favorite businesses while showcasing our famous Texas hospitality.

Residents can also participate in the Parks Master Plan process, which will direct the department's activities over the next decade. Kelley and his team will be hosting focus groups across Grapevine to learn what people want from their parks. Contact the Parks and Rec department to learn more.

Grapevine is a wonderful place to live and work. Learn more about the community and get to know the people and employers who choose to put down roots here.