Spring is one of our favorite times of the year. While it means more mowing and trimming for the parks and recreation staff, we love to see people visiting and enjoying the spaces we take pride in. The parks are seeing more visitors for picnics and spring celebrations, flowers are out, and the ball fields are full with teams playing baseball, softball, and tee ball. This year, we hosted our Opening Day event with the East Burke High School Army JROTC Color Guard, and Laurie Nicholson and Sidney Hollifield from Waldensian Presbyterian Church sang a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Everett Chevrolet in Morganton presented Valdese Parks and Recreation Department staff with a $500 check, and our new Chief of Police, Marc Sharpe, threw out the first pitch. It was a strike!
May also brings our annual Fun Fish event. Sign-ups are open online for this year’s free event on May 11 at 9am at McGalliard Falls Park. Should we be rained out, our make-up date is May 18. The event is for anglers ages 4-12 years old on the day of the event. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission provides trout from their hatcheries to stock McGalliard Creek, and there are always some big fish caught. There are door prizes, prizes for each age group for the biggest fish, and participants can enter to win a state-wide contest for a lifetime hunting/fishing license from NCWRC. Our dependable and longtime supporters and volunteers from American Legion Post 234 and the Post Auxiliaries will be there frying fish and French fries, as well as cooking hot dogs. We do ask for a $5 donation for each plate to help offset the cost of food and prizes for future events. With over 175 kids last year, this popular event is not to be missed.
We continue to offer rentals for your parties and celebrations. Picnic shelters, the Bowling Party Room, and the Splash Pad Building are all available to host your next event. Call the Valdese Parks and Recreation office at 828-879-2132 to reserve a space for your next event, whether a birthday party, family reunion, class reunion, baby shower, or whatever. The parks are a great place to celebrate! New bowling scoring is being installed in the bowling alley the first full week in May, so come try it out or book a party in the space for a great time! We offer all-inclusive party packages with food and bowling, as well.
In May, many eyes are already turning towards the summer and how to cool off. We field a lot of questions about the Splash Pad. The water at the Splash Pad will be running Wednesday, May 1. Remember, you need to push the button to turn it on! With the Bubble no more, the pool is already open to open air swimming. We are working through the process of replacing the Bubble with a permanent structure, and any future construction will not impact this summer’s activities. In the meantime, the pool water is heated, so we invite folks to come out and take advantage of this wonderful amenity. The aquatics staff is preparing for lifeguard training, swim lessons, and a busy but fun summer. Our Valdese Torpedo Swim Team and swim lesson signups are online at valdese.recdesk.com, and remember, aquatics members receive a 50% discount on swim lessons. We are in the process of getting a lifeguarding class together with the in-person segment being held Friday-Sunday, May 24-26. Candidates must be 15 on the final day of the class to be certified. Please reach out to the aquatics staff at 828-874-6737 for more information on these programs.
If you are looking for something to do during the week, we have a lot happening! The fitness center and Wayne Owens Gymnasium open at 5:30am on weekdays. Our group fitness classes take place at our Splash Pad building, with senior-oriented classes being taught by our experienced instructors at 9am every weekday. In the pool, our morning Aquacise class is in the water four days a week at 8:30am, soaking in the water and the sun while keeping fit. Join us Monday and Wednesday mornings to cut a rug with our 10am line dancing classes, or bowl a few frames with our increasingly popular Senior Bowling group Wednesdays at 10am, as well. Valdese Torpedo Masters are swimming Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings at the moment. Up in Wayne Owens Gym, while we are still providing a lot of time for basketball, we’re also branching out some. We have started an18U open volleyball time on Monday evenings from 5-8pm. We know volleyball is a growing sport in the area, and we wanted to be able to provide our youth an opportunity to have some space. Our Friday night open pickleball time in the gym has also been a hit, so come on down and try out this fast growing sport.
We are excited to announce that this summer, our pickleball and tennis partner, Tennisbloc, will be hosting two weeks of summer camps including instruction in tennis (June) and pickleball (July). Kids will learn about and play the sports, have some additional activities, and then have lunch and afternoon pool time here at the Rec. For more information on this camp opportunity, please reach out to Tennisbloc at info@tennisbloc.com
May is going to be a full month of fun, and we look forward to seeing you at your Valdese Parks and Recreation Department.
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