Parks and Recreation Starts Summer Off With a Splash!

Looking for something to do this summer? The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is sure to have an event or program to kick start your summer along with great activities for everyone in your family!

The department will start the 59^th Annual Festival Arts on Sunday, June 7 with a Renaissance Fair at 4 p.m. at Dogwood Dell. The party atmosphere includes magicians, stilt walkers, and jugglers, and this is a fair for all ages.  At 8 p.m., the Henley Street Theatre will present “Romeo and Juliet” on the Dogwood Dell stage.

Beginning on Saturday, June 13, all City pools will be open for City residents. Week day hours are 1 to 8 p.m. with free swim available from 1 to 4:30 p.m., family time from 5 to 7 p.m. and adult swim from 7 to 8 p.m. Weekend hours for the outdoor pools are noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

On Monday, June 15, the USDA Summer Meals for Kids begins serving at more than 100 sites across the City of Richmond. The Summer Meals for Kids Program provides children and teens (through the age of 18) nutritious breakfasts and lunches during the summer months.

On Friday, June 19, residents are invited to join the department for the start of the 2015 Movies in the Park Series. The first movie in the series will be shown at Byrd Park at 8 p.m. A full schedule of the movie series is available at http://richmondvirginiaparks.blogspot.com/2015/05/movies-in-park-2015.html.

On Sunday, June 21, the Adventure Recreation division will host the “Summer Solstice Float” in starting from the Huguenot Flatwater in James River Park. Participants are encouraged to bring their bathing suits and preferred means of transportation by water such as a canoe, raft, or kayak.

Monday, June 22 marks the beginning of the department’s youth summer camps and the CarMax Summer League. Both the “All Aboard” summer camp, for ages 6 to 12, and “Generation Z” teen camp, for ages 13 to 15, are full day camps that operate from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are also specialty camps such as soccer, tennis, computer coding, and Lego that are available as half day camps. The CarMax Summer Basketball league games will be held at the Pine Camp Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road, with games being played Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m.

For more information on these events and department sites and programs, please call (804) 646-5733 or visit www.richmondgov.com/parks.

Movies in the Park 2015

Join the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities our 2015 Movies in the Park series!

Our first movie of the year will begin on Friday, June 19 at Byrd Park, 600 S. Boulevard, 23221.

For more information or updates, please visit our Facebook page.

Annual Commemoration of Memorial Day with Free Music in the Park

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host its annual Memorial Day Concert on Monday, May 25 at Byrd Park. Beginning at 4 p.m. at the World War I Memorial Carillon, the city carillonneur Larry Robinson will pay tribute to our nation’s veterans through the ringing of the Carillon Bells, followed by a concert from The Virginians Barbershop Chorus. Mr. Robinson is a dedicated musician who has made the Carillon bells his vocation for more than 50 years.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Dogwood Dell office at (804) 646-1031.

Help Send Richmond’s Children to Summer Camp!

On Thursday, May 14, residents of Central Virginia can help send a child from the city of Richmond to summer camp, as well as hear some of your favorite music by contributing to the City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities 8^th annual Send a Kid to Camp radiothon.

Through the City’s partnership with Enrichmond and Radio One, residents can call (804) 521-8400 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 14 to donate. For a donation of $25 or more, the caller can have their favorite song played on KISS 99.3/105.7 FM or iPower 92.1 FM. Donations can also be accepted online at www.enrichmond.org/send-a-kid-to-camp.

All donations are tax deductible and will help pay for city children to attend one of the 12 summer camps across the city.

This year’s summer camp theme of “All Aboard” will bring campers an exciting and educational summer experience that will feature activities such as swim lessons, participation in the STEM summer program in partnership with the 4H Virginia Cooperative Extension, and how music has influenced our culture. 

“These funds help us reach children in the city who often have few constructive options for summer activities,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director for Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities. “By making a donation during the Send a Kid to Camp radiothon, you are helping with the city’s efforts to shape the future of our children.”

The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities summer camp programs offers nine weeks of structured activities for children ages 6 to 12, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The summer camp session begins on June 22 and ends on August 21, 2015. For city residents, the cost to send one child to camp is $250; however, the donations from the radiothon are used to provide scholarships for those who need them.

For more information about the Send a Kid to Camp radiothon or summer camp offerings, please call (804) 646-5733 or visit our website at www.richmondgov.com/parks .

Spotlight Gallery to Host Art and Poetry Exhibition

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Narratives: Telling Your Story,” a community visual and poetic exhibition at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Friday, May 15 with a public reception and a sampling of spoken word poets performing in the theater from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until June 19, 2015.

"Celso" by Jackie Carrera

This mixed media show will feature artists from various backgrounds who choose to express their views with visual art or through spoken word. The spoken word component of “Narratives: Telling Your Story” will continue on Thursday, June 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pine Camp. In addition to the exhibit in the Spotlight Gallery, artist Bukuru Nyandwi will have his art featured on the Community Art Wall. 

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.