Texas Gov. threatens to pull funding over waterpark event

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening to pull over $500,000 in state funding from a Dallas suburb if it moves forward with a private, Muslim-centric event next month that will require a “modest” dress code, including “burkinis” for women.

The third-annual DFW Eid Celebration, set for June 1 at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas, will require both male and female attendees to adhere to a dress code and other rules, including “respectful behavior such as maintaining personal space and lowering the gaze.”

In addition to providing halal cuisine — food that is allowed under Islamic law — a flyer for the DFW Eid Celebration also promises a private prayer room and a “respectful environment” for attendees to mark the Islamic holiday.

The “What to Wear” section of the event website features suggestions for “stylish water outfit inspiration” with links to several Islamic-style bathing suits — including burkini outfits with full head and leg coverings — on websites like Amazon and Temu.

Abbott’s Public Safety Office shared a letter with The Christian Post that was sent Tuesday to Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen warning that the “DFW Epic Eid” event “was publicly and openly advertised as discriminating based on religion” and thus in breach of any agreements between the city and the PSO.

The letter from PSO Executive Director Andrew Friedrichs said the event “purports to be public facing and discriminatory at the same time” and compared it to advertising for a “Whites only” event.  

“All Muslims — but only Muslims — may attend,” wrote Friedrichs. “An event at a city-owned pool that was publicly and indiscriminately advertised as ‘Whites only’ would surely violate the Constitution.”

Citing five “active grants” from PSO to Grand Prairie totaling approximately $530,000, Friedrichs said his office considered Grand Prairie to be “in breach with respect to all grant agreements” between the city and PSO for fiscal year 2026. He gave Jensen a deadline of May 11 to “confirm in writing that the City will not permit this discriminatory event to occur on property owned or operated by the City and commits to never allowing a ‘Muslim only’ event to occur on property owned or operated by the City.”

The governor’s office also shared an X post from Abbott on Tuesday that called the planned event “religious discrimination” and compared it to “Muslim only no-go zones.”

Abbott added, “Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans.”

Prior to the announcement from the state, a spokesman for Grand Prairie told The Christian Post on Tuesday that city officials are “aware of concerns that have been expressed about an upcoming private event at Epic Waters” and that the city is working with the management team at the facility to “ensure all policies and procedures have been followed.”

Clarifying that Epic Waters is owned by the city and managed by a third-party operator, city spokesman Eric Alvarez said, “Like other City-owned facilities, it is available for rental by individuals and organizations.”

After reports about the event leaked on social media, event organizer Aminah Knight updated the online flyer to clarify that the DFW Eid Celebration is a “privately organized and privately funded event held through a standard rental of Epic Waters, just like many other private gatherings hosted at the park.”

“At its core, this event is about creating a space where individuals and families, particularly those who value modest dress and a modest environment, can come together and enjoy a recreational setting comfortably,” Knight wrote, adding that anyone who is “a different faith who wants to celebrate the Eid holiday with us and adhere to the modest dress code” is welcome to attend the event.

According to Knight, over 600 people attended the event last year and all “lovers of modest fashion and those who are curious about Eid and what modesty at a waterpark can look like” are welcome to attend.

On its FAQ page, the event website states, “Attendees of all ages are expected to dress in accordance with Islamic values,” and while men and women will not be separated, attendees are asked to “uphold Islamic etiquette” by practicing modesty and “lowering the gaze” when the opposite sex is in sight.

“We trust our community to help preserve a spiritually mindful and welcoming atmosphere for all,” the site states.

Owned by the city of Grand Prairie near the Dallas and Tarrant County border, Epic Waters —  which has no ties to the planned Muslim-centric development formerly known as “EPIC City” —is an 80,000-square-foot waterpark with a retractable roof and boasts the longest indoor lazy river in North Texas, according to its website.

Epic Waters opened in 2017 after voters approved a 0.25% sales tax, according to city documents. The park is available for rent at a cost of $5,000 an hour, Dallas News reports.