New & Noteworthy

Dayton, Texas, will soon be home to an entertainment venue known as the Angel Lagoon, the first-ever public access lagoon in the state. This aquatic oasis promises to revolutionize the concept of local recreational spaces. Featuring crystal-clear blue waters reminiscent of the Caribbean seas, Angel Lagoon, located at the entrance of the River Ranch community on SH 146 south of Dayton, will offer a taste of paradise close to home.

At a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony and celebration on Nov. 16, invited guests, including city and county leaders, were given a glimpse of what Angel Lagoon will bring to Dayton when it opens in the summer of 2024.

“Home, work, and everywhere else. We need this third place to relax and connect. In recent decades, shopping centers have filled this role. But the world around us has evolved. Experiences are worth more to us than things. We want a different place, somewhere with fresh air, sunlight, and nature. And what public space exists today where we can dine, shop and spend time with our friends and family in a beautiful and natural environment? None, until now. Welcome to public access lagoons like Crystal Lagoons, where you will no longer have to travel far to feel a world away. You could be lying in a tropical white sand beach beside turquoise waters just moments from your front door. With the addition of an innovative public access saloon, the property can be customized and transformed into a hub of activity appealing to everyone,” says the voice in a recorded promotional video shown at the event.

Uri Man, CEO of The Lagoon Development Company, shared that Angel Lagoon will be the anchor of a 40-acre amenity village with 150 acres around the Lagoon for commercial development. The name of the Lagoon is a nod to Greg Angel, one of the developers.

“This Lagoon is already having a great impact, an economic impact, on the city. There are condos being announced, apartments being announced, new restaurants, new shopping centers, new grocery stores all being announced in the City of Dayton, and a great part of that is bringing this attraction to the city, which puts the city of Dayton on the map as it serves as a super regional attraction,” Man said.

“We’re going to have visitors to new hotels coming to the city of Dayton from all over the state and beyond.”

Man said that properties in the River Ranch community are “selling like hotcakes.” Once completed, River Ranch will bring roughly 7,000 new rooftops to Dayton.

“We have record sales in the community right now and we expect that the project will continue to enjoy a lot of excitement as the Lagoon is developed,” Man said. “If you’re going to buy a new home in a new project, why wouldn’t you buy where you can walk to the beach, where you can use your golf cart? All year round you can enjoy beach life, walking distance from your home. The crystal lagoon that is being developed here, four beaches of beach life, the first- ever public access lagoon, will have tremendous amenities on the perimeter of the lagoon.”

Angel Lagoon will feature an amphitheater called the Angel Lagoon Live where entertainment will be provided from a floating stage, a national sailing club where families can learn how to sail, paddle boarding and kayaking, a heated swim zone, an open-air palapa grill where guests can enjoy great burgers, tacos, pina coladas and margaritas.

Angel Lagoon will also have an area for couples hoping to have a beach wedding without the expense of traveling to far locales.

“Can you imagine driving and suddenly seeing the turquoise blue water that you imagine you could only see in the Bahamas or in beautiful places right here in the city of Dayton, Texas? Beach life? You can see beautiful cabanas will have lounge chairs, water sports. It’s going to be a gathering place where we’ll have lots of festivals, food and wine festivals,” Man said.