A new watery sensation will be sweeping the U.S. and Canada this summer courtesy of Slide the City, a firm that sets up a 1000-foot waterslide on city streets.
The concept has been described as a "Slip'N Slide on steroids." This summer more than 100 cities will close carefully selected sloping city streets and invite residents to a massive play day complete with organized water fights and a host of warm-weather attractions and activities.
The city of Nashville, for example, is promoting its Slide the City event schedule for July as a "family friendly slip-and-slide water party event with live music, food, drinks, water and the Mecca of slip-and-slides: a 1,000 foot long, soapy piece of vinyl."
Civic leaders favoring the program cite the relatively low set-up cost compared to revenue-generating potential as rationale for the program. Fees for riding the slide range from $5 to $55 dollars in most cities, depending on how many times someone wants to ride the slide.