March 2021
THE REC REPORT

March is here and spring is right around the corner! (March 20th to be exact.) Soon, the sun will be out and it will be the perfect time for you to get out to our parks and enjoy the weather! Check out some things we have planned this month and be sure to check out our staff highlight showcasing our parks staff and all they do to keep are parks maintained and ready for your enjoyment!

For more information about our local parks and facilities, visit our website! -->PRT Website
Plans Set for 2021 Gloucester Daffodil Festival
The Gloucester Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department is pleased to announce that there will be an in-person Gloucester Daffodil Festival in the spring. This year’s event, called “A Little Gem of a Festival,” is scheduled for March 27-28 and will be modified to help mitigate ongoing pandemic concerns.

Due to COVID-19 regulations, this year’s festival will be unable to host live entertainment, food vendors and amusement. However, it will feature 40 hand craft and art vendors located in three market areas. Vendors will be spaced out within the Court Circle, along Carriage Court and in the green space behind the Gloucester Museum of History.

Festival hours will be Saturday, March 27 from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 28 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Festival guests will be required to pre-register for their festival visit. A total of 400 guests will be permitted per two-hour festival visit. Registration is free and can be taken through the Eventbrite link on the festival’s website, www.daffodilfestivalva.org
Green Craft
Daffodil Boquet From Recycled Material
Daffodil Festival will be smaller this year, but you can still participate by making someone a daffodil bouquet from recycled materials using this tutorial from Clean Community Coordinator Elisabeth Wilkins.
Bunny Trail!
Join us for a trip down the Bunny Trail! You will have a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny (photos will be emailed to you)! Along the trail volunteers will be handing out Easter Eggs with candy and toys, crafts for you to do at home and games to play at home. The trail will end in the woods so on the trip back to the car we have a scavenger hunt for you to look for items for your crafts!
PRT Highlight
Get to know our staff and volunteers!
This month we feature our parks staff! Our parks staff love what they do and are a vital piece of our department. They work day in and day out to keep out parks maintained, safe and fun for you to enjoy! Here are a few photos of our parks staff in action.
Dwight and Steven working a trail day and doing trail maintenance at our parks.
Kimberly and Elizabeth organized and decorated the amphitheater this past December for the Holidays Pictures in the Park program. This was the test photo taken by parks staff Andrew, to see where families needed to stand.
Randy has held a few knot tying classes at Whitcomb Lodge. Kimberly and Randy are practicing tying knots in this photo.

This photo was taken pre COVID
Kimberly and Steven assembled and hung several duck boxes on the reservoir to attract wood ducks back to Beaverdam. Steven even found an injured Canada goose during this project and he carried it to safety with an emergency foil blanket to keep it from freezing. Our parks staff wear many hats!

This photo was taken pre COVID
This photo shows how the sun sets at Beaverdam Park. Be sure to get out and enjoy our beautiful parks this spring!
March 23rd is National Puppy Day! If you find yourself out at our parks with your little fur babies, be sure to snap some pics and stay tuned for our National Puppy Day Facebook post which will allow for you to share your sweet photos on our page!
FEATURED ACTIVITIES
CLEAN GLOUCESTER WEEKEND
Clean Gloucester Weekend Spring 2021 will be held March 26-28, 2021. The Gloucester Clean Community office provides trash bags, buckets, grabbers, road signs, and safety vests for registered cleanup teams. Because Clean Gloucester Weekend is the same weekend as Daffodil Fest this year, each cleanup team captain will receive a free potted daffodil from the Gloucester Master Gardeners!
Doggy Easter Egg Hunt!
Hunt for treat filled eggs together at Beaverdam Park. Followed by photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny. There will also be a quick training session lead by CPDT-KA trainer Amy Willoughby with an opportunity for a dog trick and costume contest after! But thats not all! k-9 proactive health information will be offered by the Gloucester Veterinary Clinic and we will have information on dog adoption from our local animal shelter! Be sure to have your K9 looking their Easter Best!
Dogs must remain on leash with an adult guardian.
Max 2 dogs per registrant. 
Did You Know?
The Gloucester Museum of History Unveils a New Exhibit
Visit the Gloucester Museum of History and experience the new exhibit, “Awakening: The Life & Legacy of T.C. Walker.” Featuring a reproduction of the T.C. Walker mural from Main Street, the exhibit includes a 100-year-old desk that is on loan from the Woodville Rosenwald School, documents from the archives of the Gloucester Museum of History, and objects from Bethel Baptist Church. Explore the stories from the mural. Learn about the life of a local hero. Be inspired to make a difference in your community. The Museum is located at 6539 Main Street and is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. until
3 p.m. Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to practice safe social distancing measures while visiting. 
 
Gloucester Parks, Recreation & Tourism
804-693-2355
prt@gloucesterva.info
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