City of Grand Prairie cancels Muslim celebration after press from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on May 7, 2026

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FORT WORTH, Texas — The city of Grand Prairie canceled a Muslim celebration Wednesday that had been planned for the city-owned Epic Waters after Gov. Greg Abbott called the event “religious discrimination.”

Abbott posted on X Wednesday afternoon that the city must cancel the event by Monday or lose $530,000 in state grants.

Epic Eid, originally scheduled for June 1 at Epic Waters water park, was planned in celebration of the Muslim holiday Eid ul-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice. The has been celebrated at the water park since 2024 and last year saw an attendance of over 600 people.

“I’m sad. I’m sad that something that was being done with such good intention, just for joy, has been turned into something that it’s not,” Aminah Knight, organizer of DFW Eid told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. “God knows I was just trying to plan something for my community within my community just like I did last year — why it turned it with this, I don’t know.”

Epic Eid faced significant backlash on social media after a flyer originally meant for a private group went public that read the event was for Muslims only. Knight said in a statement posted to the organization’s website that it is a “modest-dress only event, centered around a respectful and family-friendly environment.

“So if you are a friend of a different faith who wants to celebrate the Eid holiday with us and adhere to the modest dress code ... this event is FOR YOU TOO!” Knight wrote.

The city of Grand Prairie released a statement regarding the cancellation of Epic Eid.

“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.”

Though Epic Waters is owned by the city of Grand Prairie, it is available for private group rentals.

Last year, Abbott signed HB4211 into law, banning Sharia compounds which he said “defrauds and discriminates against Texans.” The law specifically targeted EPIC City, a Muslim residential community planned for Hunt and Collin County.

“I am someone who deeply loves my community, Muslim and Non- Muslim alike,” Knight posted on the Epic Eid website. “I am an educator, a mother of six, and someone who believes in engaging with perspectives different from my own in order to build deeper understanding and meaningful connection across communities.”