Koligian Park Gets New Lights, Evening Access for Fresno

Fresno residents will soon be able to use Koligian Park later into the evening following the installation of new field lighting, a municipal upgrade announced by City Council President Mike Karbassi. The lights, which cost nearly $1 million, are set to come on around sundown and will be programmed to turn off at 10 p.m., according to reporting published Nov. 11, 2025.

The installation is expected to expand access for youth sports, adult leagues and community events by extending usable hours at the park. For families and organized teams that juggle school and work schedules, the additional evening hours create new opportunities for practice and games without displacing daytime activities. Local leagues that often face limited field time may be able to schedule more matches, and community organizers can consider evening gatherings and tournaments that were previously constrained by daylight.

Local officials framed the upgrade as an investment in public recreation space that supports health and civic life. The cost, just under $1 million, represents a significant municipal outlay for a single park project, and it will likely prompt increased attention from residents and neighborhood groups about long term maintenance, energy use and operating costs. The lighting will be automated to go on at sundown and off at 10 p.m., which city staff say balances extended access with efforts to limit late night disturbance to surrounding neighborhoods.

Expanded evening use can bring economic and social benefits to nearby businesses, and it can make city parks more active and visible after dark, which in turn affects perceptions of safety. At the same time, some residents may raise concerns about light pollution, noise from later sporting events and the ongoing cost of electricity and upkeep. As Fresno manages the new schedule, community leaders and park managers will need to work with neighborhood associations and league organizers to set rules that preserve the park as a shared public asset.

The Koligian Park lighting project is part of a broader conversation about how cities maximize public space for diverse populations. Across many urban centers, investments in lighting and amenities are used to extend hours of use and to create safer, more inclusive public landscapes. For Fresno residents, the immediate effect will be more flexible options for recreation and community programming, and the longer term discussion will focus on how to sustain those benefits equitably for neighborhoods around the park.