The 3rd Annual DFW Epic Eid event at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie has been canceled, bringing a swift conclusion to a controversy that escalated to the state level within hours.
The City of Grand Prairie issued a brief statement Wednesday evening confirming the decision, saying: “After further review and in the best interest of the City of Grand Prairie, the June 1 Eid event at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark has been canceled.”
The cancellation followed a formal letter from Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatening to revoke more than $530,000 in state public safety grants unless the city canceled the event by May 11. Abbott’s letter sharply criticized the event’s original marketing language and framed the issue as a legal and constitutional concern.
“A city-owned water park in Grand Prairie openly advertised a ‘MUSLIMS ONLY’ event – closed to the general public. That’s religious discrimination. It’s unconstitutional. I signed HB 4211 into law – banning Muslim only no-go zones in Texas. The City must cancel the event and commit to never allowing something like it again by May 11th, or lose $530,000 in state grants,” Abbott wrote.
He also emphasized broader concerns about public access to taxpayer-funded facilities, adding: “Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans.”
Epic Waters, owned by the City of Grand Prairie, is funded in part through a voter-approved 0.25% sales tax, making it a publicly supported facility. Abbott’s office pointed to event flyers and promotional material that described the gathering as “Muslim-Only,” “For Muslims Only,” and “Closed to the Public,” arguing that such restrictions were inappropriate for a public venue.
In response to the controversy, event organizer Dr. Aminah Knight said she had been working to preserve the event while addressing concerns. In a statement posted on the DFW Epic Eid website before the cancellation, she described the gathering as “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.”
She also revised promotional materials, replacing exclusionary language with a “modest dress only” guideline, including “burkinis” for women and swim attire for men.
Knight, who identifies as an educator and mother of six, has since said she plans to respond to the cancellation by organizing a Fourth of July interfaith event titled “The Great American Cookout,” intended to bring together people of different backgrounds, according to reporting from FOX 4 News.
