Let's Talk Luling Episode 3: Phyllis Hill House & Lindsay Wallace on Parks, Events & What's Coming to Luling

This post is adapted from Episode 3 of Let's Talk Luling, a podcast produced by DSE Media for the Luling Economic Development Corporation. Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Most people in Luling know about the parks. Not as many know what it takes to run them. In Episode 3 of Let's Talk Luling, EDC Executive Director Arias sat down with Parks Director Phyllis Hill House and Parks and Recreation Coordinator Lindsay Wallace to pull back the curtain on one of the city's most active and underappreciated departments.

A department that barely existed a year ago

The Luling Parks Department as it exists today is less than a year old. City Manager Mark McLachlin stood it up in April, brought Phyllis over from handling city facility rentals for the previous 10 years, and hired Lindsay and another team member in September. In a few months they've launched a full Music on Maine series, planned a first-ever fundraiser, and started the groundwork for a parks master plan and a new aquatics complex. For a department that started on a shoestring budget, the output is remarkable.

Music on Maine

The Music on Maine series is the most visible thing the parks department does and it's already become a community anchor. Monthly shows at the Rios Pocket Park Plaza draw anywhere from 90 to nearly 400 people depending on the night. The Bart Chippies played Cookies and Carols and packed the plaza. A jazz pianist played on a cold rainy night and the crowd stayed anyway, standing under the pavilion watching the moon come out.

The series runs from August through May, skipping June and July because it's Texas and nobody wants to stand outside in that heat. Every show is scheduled around community conflicts — UIL, Watermelon Thump, other downtown events. The goal is to add to what's already happening, not compete with it. Sponsors have already committed to fund the full 2026 schedule. February 7th is the next show, with Salt Flat Boulevard performing.

Rhythms on the River

The first annual Rhythms on the River is coming October 23rd and it's the department's biggest fundraising event yet. It's an evening at the Zedler Mill property on the San Marcos River — jazz during cocktail hour, a tour of the historic mill, dinner, dancing, raffle items, and door prizes. The Zedler Mill dates back to 1874 and started as a cotton gin. The city purchased the property and built an event facility that now hosts weddings and events from across the country. For one Friday night in October it becomes a fundraiser for the parks department.

Sponsorship tables are available, and businesses that can't commit to a table can donate a raffle item or door prize instead. Contact the parks department to get involved.

A new aquatics complex is coming

One of the biggest announcements from this episode: Luling has contracted with Freese and Nichols to design a new aquatics complex at North Side Park. It's a multi-phase project that will take two to four years to complete, but Phase 1 is targeted for this year. Details are still developing but the community has been asking for this for a long time and the planning is finally underway.

In the meantime, North Side Park is getting upgrades too. New dugouts and two new scoreboards are being installed at the ball fields thanks to Luling Grant funding, ready in time for spring season.

Disc golf at Zedler South

Not many people know Luling has an 18-hole disc golf course at Zedler South off Highway 80. The course has been underwater a few times due to the flood plain, and some of the baskets need upgrading. The parks department is working on improvements and has conversations underway about hosting tournaments — events that would bring people into town, drive foot traffic downtown, and pair naturally with Music on Maine and other events. The vision is disc golf in the morning, dinner and live music downtown at night.

Everything else the parks department does

The list is longer than most people realize. Phyllis and Lindsay manage facility rentals for the Zedler Mill Pavilion, Zedler Guest House (which can accommodate up to 14 guests and is available to anyone), the Civic Center, North Side, and Southside facilities. They run the summer camp program that served over 75 kids last year and is coming back June through July for ages 5 to 11. They maintain the Luling City Cemetery, researching plots and helping families find their loved ones. They coordinate with every other community organization in town to make sure events don't conflict. And David Brown and the building and grounds team keep every park, facility, and city-owned property maintained year-round — including late nights and weekends when something breaks.

Why this all matters for economic development

Arias made the connection clearly: parks and recreation aren't separate from economic development. Quality of life is one of the four ingredients every site selector looks for. When families decide where to plant roots, parks, events, and community programming are part of the calculation. And when young people who grew up in Luling are deciding whether to come back after college, the question isn't just whether there's a job. It's whether there's a community worth coming back to. That's what the parks department is building.

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