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Parks & Recreation Newsletter | December 2013 | VBgov.com/Parks
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Rec Center Day Passes Available
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Water slide at Williams Farm Recreation Center
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Are you hosting family over the holidays and looking for things to do? Take them to the rec center! We offer single day passes to our centers; just $5 for youth and $8 for adults. A day pass provides the same benefits as a membership - access to all six recreation centers with amenities like indoor swimming pools, cardio and weight rooms, gyms, rock walls, youth game rooms and more! You can purchase day passes at the front desk of any center (no residency requirements).
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Handmade Wreaths Add Holiday Flair to City Buildings
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Garden Club members craft holiday wreaths
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For the past 30 years, Parks and Recreation's Landscape Management Division has hosted a wreath making event in partnership with The Council of Garden Clubs of Virginia Beach. In early December, members of various garden clubs come together to create the wreaths that will deck the doors of many of our City buildings. The greenery and other plant material used is carefully collected from city sites by our Landscape Management crew members. This year, a record 78 Garden Club members showed up to expertly craft the beautiful wreaths that adorn buildings at the Municipal Center and other notable sites including the Lynnhaven House, Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library, the Old Coast Guard Station, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art.
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Free Admission to Rec Centers During Open House Event
January 18-19, 2014 | All Virginia Beach Recreation Centers
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Free fitness classes offered at all centers
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We're putting our best foot forward and opening our doors to show you what Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation has to offer! January 18th and 19th will be our biggest and best Open House - completely free and open to everyone. No membership is required and we've lined up tons of FREEBIES! Each recreation center will have various classes and programs to sample, so check the schedules on the event page.
Free fitness classes will be featured throughout the two-day event. Try out everything from Zumba® and TRX® to kettlebells and yoga. We'll also have special demos of our exciting new class, BODYPUMP™! The original Les Mills™ barbell class focuses on low weight loads and high reps choreographed to chart-topping music!
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Free children's activities available
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Along with the great fitness opportunities, there will be plenty of free children's activities and family fun! Kids will love the giant inflatables and game rooms, plus you can check out the birthday party packages on display. We'll also have games and tournaments in the gym and in the pool for varying age groups.
If you've been thinking of joining the recreation centers, but weren't quite sure what we had to offer, this is your chance to try it all for free! For our current members, this is a great opportunity to bring friends and family to experience the fun! PLUS, you can enter to win a $150 Parks & Recreation gift card that can be used toward an annual membership, group fitness classes, swimming lessons, kayak tours, shelter reservations, birthday parties & more!
In addition to the activities at our recreation centers, select parks will be offering pickleball and disc golf demos. Check the schedule on the event page for times and locations. |
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Planting 50 Trees for 50 Years
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Planting a live oak at the Municipal Center
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To commemorate the City's 50th Anniversary, our Landscape Management Division is planting 50 trees throughout the city at various parks, facilities and schools, as well as high-profile areas such as Town Center and the Laskin Road Gateway. The trees are live oaks, the official City tree of Virginia Beach. The first tree planting of this project took place at the 33rd annual Arbor Day Celebration at College Park Elementary School on April 12. The remaining trees are being planted this month, an ideal time for tree planting in the region.
The 50 Trees for 50 Years planting project was funded by donations from The Council of Garden Clubs of Virginia Beach. Locations of the plantings were designated by the Council with guidance from our staff for optimal healthy growth, development and sustainability.
Curious about other native species that are ideal for planting in lawns or open areas? View the Native Tree Species list for Virginia Beach compiled by the City arborist.
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Sessions Filling for Winter Wildlife Festival!
January 24-26, 2014 | Princess Anne Recreation Center
Registration for the 2014 Winter Wildlife Festival began in November and several excursions have already reached capacity. Don't miss this opportunity to observe winter wildlife alongside experienced instructors in places like Back Bay and False Cape, Pleasure House Point, Mackay Island, Whitehurst Tract, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel area and more! Many sessions are offered at no cost and simply require advance registration.
In addition to the outdoor excursions, the event features free educational workshops, children's activities and an exhibit hall at Princess Anne Recreation Center. The Festival Kick-Off takes places on Friday, January 24 with keynote speaker, Noah Strycker, Associate Editor of Birding magazine, well-known writer and "bird man." Strycker will discuss his latest project, "Bird World," a book about the fascinating parallels between bird and human behavior. Check out the festival website for details of all activities.
How to Register
Registration is available in-person at any Virginia Beach Recreation Center or by mailing in a registration form. Past participants and recreation center members can use EZreg to register online with their client barcode and family PIN. |
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Give the Gift of Recreation!
 Simplify your shopping this year with Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation gift cards! Our gift cards can be purchased in any amount that the recipient can use towards an annual recreation center membership, shelter reservations, party & room rentals, group fitness classes, kayak tours, swimming lessons, dance classes, tennis programs, personal training sessions and more! Stop by any recreation center to purchase.
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Please Note Our Upcoming Facility ClosuresBow Creek Recreation Center is closed for a long-term modernization project.
All Virginia Beach Recreation Centers, Owl Creek Tennis Center, staffed parks & park facilities and administrative offices will be closed on Tuesday & Wednesday, December 24 & 25 for Christmas. All facilities will also close at 5 pm on Tuesday, December 31 and remain closed on Wednesday, January 1 for New Year's.
All Virginia Beach Recreation Centers, Owl Creek Tennis Center, staffed parks & park facilities and administrative offices will be closed on Monday, January 20 for Martin Luther King Day.
Don't forget that your membership is good at all Virginia Beach Recreation Centers! If your usual center is closed for maintenance, take the opportunity to visit another center. Use this locator to help you find one!
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Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation believes all of our diverse citizens have a right to participate in community recreation and we are committed to creating equal access for everyone who may have a challenge or barrier. If you or your child requires additional support, we can help. Learn more about our accommodation and inclusion services. |
We welcome your comments and questions. Feel free to email us at fun@VBgov.com. |
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Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is accredited by CAPRA,
the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association. |
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