Marlow's Redbud Park Hideout getting rebooted; meeting Saturday August 24

The Marlow community is coming together for an expansive reboot of the Redbud Park’s Hideout and are holding another meeting this Saturday, August 24 at 10 a.m. in the Marlow City Hall for the community to provide input and feedback.

The woman leading the charge, State Senator Jessica Garvin , spoke to the Marlow Review about her history with the park and how she came to steer this in-demand facelift for one of Marlow’s greatest attractions.

“Two months ago City Manager Jason McPherson and Mayor Jeff Prater reached out to me and my husband Stephen about leading the project,” said Senator Garvin, a Stephens County business owner and Marlow Graduate of 2004.

“They have had people interested in an update of The Hideout for years, but had no one willing to lead the effort,” Garvin explained.

“The original playground was paid for and built by community members and outside help, not just the City of Marlow, so it only made sense that we complete the upgrade the same way we had success doing it almost 25 years ago.”

Garvin said the community support has been incredible, so far.

“It’s incredibly encouraging to see the outpouring of community support and the momentum we’ve gathered so far has been amazing,” she said.

“Stephen and I have put together a strong team to make up the Steering Committee, a team full of people with various talents, all committed to making sure that our community succeeds.”

“I think one of the most exciting things so far is to be witness to how many people care about The Hideout,” Garvin praised, “we’ve had people from Rush Springs, Central, Bray, Duncan, and Marlow Alumni scattered across Oklahoma who have shown their support and offered to help with fundraising or volunteer work.”

For Garvin, the park is a combination of nostalgia and the desire to see the Marlow attraction bring joy to countless more children in the future.

“I remember helping to build the playground when I was a kid,” she said, “so it’s really special to know my kids will be helping to build the new playground and continue that legacy of giving back to this community that helped raised me… it’s definitely bittersweet.”

Sen. Jessica Garvin was first elected to the state Senate in 2020 to represent Senate District 43, encompassing communities in Garvin, Grady, McClain, Cleveland and Stephens counties.

The Duncan Republican is a proud graduate of Marlow High School and the University of Oklahoma, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in psychology.

In addition to serving as a state Senator, Garvin is a former nursing home and assisted living administrator. Garvin serves as the executive vice president of Bison Health Care Management, offering business management for healthcare companies, and founded Four-One-Four, a public relations firm, in 2022.

She is also the former co-owner of Kindful Hospice, and although she is no longer working in the long-term care industry, she is a fierce advocate for senior adults at the Capitol.

In her spare time, Garvin is an avid sportswoman who loves hunting and fishing. She and her husband, Stephen, have three children and have also served as foster parents.