Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott got a taxpayer-funded water park in the Lone Star State to shut down a “Muslim only” event after threatening to pull several public safety grants. A local Islamic group had rented out the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie for its yearly Dallas-Fort Worth “Epic Eid” celebration on June 1, 2026.
Representatives for the city of Grand Prairie and the water park commented on the situation in a statement sent to Fox News, confirming the event had been canceled. “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 statement read.
A flier created to advertise the event originally said that the gathering was a “Muslim only event” that required a “modest dress code.” The organization then put out a new poster with the “Muslim only event” portion removed, replacing it with “Modest dress only,” and changed another part of the poster to say “All are welcome.”
According to a report from Fox News, Aminah Knight, the main organizer of the event, spoke out after the backlash started, saying the event was 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.”
“In response to feedback, we have updated our materials to clearly reflect that this is a modest dress-only event, centered around a respectful and family-friendly environment,” she stated in a message posted on the event website. This would have been the third event held at Epic Waters, a city-owned water park that is funded in part by a voter-approved 0.25% sales tax in Grand Prairie.
At first, the event also advertised there would be halal food, along with a private prayer area, again, only for Muslims. Women were told it was a requirement to wear “burkinis” and men were required to wear swim trunks and shirts. While men and women would not be separated during the event, the event website stated that all guests should uphold “Islamic etiquette” just as they do in other mixed-gender spaces. For those who are unaware, a burkini is basically a full-body swimsuit, complete with a head covering.
Abbott slammed the event, calling the “Muslim only” policy “unconstitutional” and “religious discrimination.” In a post published on X, the governor said, “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.”
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“Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans,” Abbott added. The Republican governor sent a letter to Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen, pointing out that his Public Safety Office has five active grants with the city, and that city leaders had already agreed to comply with state laws concerning civil rights and discrimination upon accepting the awards.