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 (PRCF) is sure to have an event or program to kick start your summer along with great, free activities for everyone in your family!

Kicking off the 61^st Festival of Arts at Dogwood Dell will be the James River Bell Ringers on Monday, May 29. This premier hand bell ensemble will celebrate Memorial Day with patriotic musical selections. The show will begin at 4 p.m.

On Thursday, June 1, the department will host the annual Senior Day in the Park on the grounds of the Carillon. A great opportunity to enjoy live music with friends and family, this event will also have health and wellness and retail vendors on site.

On Saturday, June 3, join the James River Park Outdoor Education staff for the annual Family Fishing Fair at Shields Lake in Byrd Park. This family friendly event celebrates Virginia’s Free Fishing Weekend, when no license is required to fish, and is meant to introduce newcomers and novices to the sport.

On Friday, June 16, residents are invited to join PRCF for the start of the 2017 Movies in the Park Series. The first movie in the series is “The Secret Lives of Pets” and will be shown at Byrd Park at 8 p.m. A full schedule of the 2017 movie series is available at http://richmondvirginiaparks.blogspot.com/2017/ .

Beginning on Saturday, June 17, 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 19, 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. A complete listing of serving facilities can be found at http://www.richmondgov.com/parks/documents/SMFK_Locations.pdf.

The CarMax Summer basketball league hosted at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road, also begins on June 19. Games are played Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. This will be the eleventh year of the league, which is made possible through a generous donation from the CarMax Foundation.

Monday, June 26 marks the beginning of PRCF’s youth summer camps. Both the “Secrets of the Mystery Box” 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, and Lego that are available as half day camps.

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

Movies in the Park 2017

Join the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities our 2017 Movies in the Park series!

Our first movie of the year will begin on Friday, June 16 at Byrd Park, 600 S. Boulevard, 23221.

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

Recycled Art exhibit in Spotlight Gallery

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Discarded:  Recycled Items as Art” at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit opened on Friday, April 21, with the artist reception occurring on Friday, May 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until May 26, 2017.

 

Songs in the Key of Life
Stephanie Kiah

Celebrating National Recycling Month, this group exhibition will include local area artists who harness reusable materials for their artworks. This exhibit’s goal is to show how with imagination and creativity, waste can become a beautiful work of art while also addressing important issues surrounding the environment. During the artist reception, representatives from local waste management agencies will be onsite to educate patrons about the benefits of recycling and answer questions.

 

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, Curator at (804) 646-6722.

Help Send Richmond's Children to Summer Camp!

On Thursday, May 4, 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 donating to the City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities 10th annual Send a Kid to Camp radiothon.


Through the City’s partnership with the Enrichmond Foundation and Radio One, residents can call (804) 521-8400 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, 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 92.1/104.1 FM. Donations can also be accepted anytime online at www.enrichmond.org/send-a-kid-to-camp.

All donations are tax deductible and will help pay for city children to attend any of the summer camps hosted by the City department.

This year’s Great Summer Escape camp theme of “The Secrets of the Mystery Box” 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 Deborah E. Morton, interim 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 offer 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 26 and ends on August 25. For city residents, the cost to send one child to the Great Summer Escape 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.

Art Exhibits Celebrate Women’s History Month

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host two art exhibits in honor of Women’s History Month at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road.  The opening reception is Friday, March 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until April 7, 2017.

The art exhibit titled “Painted” will be in the Spotlight Gallery at Pine Camp. This exhibition will feature large editorial photographs of models with face and body art created by Painted Niko Swan. Painted Niko Swan. This exhibit is the brainchild of artist Yewande Lewis and stylist Nichole Mines, who have been able to merge the worlds of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle. Models with hand-applied face paint and stylized clothing will be featured in a small fashion show in the Pine Camp Theater beginning at 6:30 p.m. on opening night.

In addition to the exhibit in the Spotlight Gallery, artist Shantell Lewis will have her collage on canvas artwork featured on the Community Art Wall. Shantell’s use of silhouette figures made of various materials in the collages represents the imagery of everyday people. Her style has been compared to the works of her idols Romare Bearden, Ernie Barnes, Charles Searles, and Charle Bibbs.

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, Curator at (804) 646-6722.