It’s no secret that Park and Rec operates a lot of different programs – there are swimming lessons, sports leagues, summer camps, fitness classes — we could take up an entire post just listing out all of the amazing things they have to offer! And while they’re all worth knowing about, there is one program in particular that we find a lot of people are unaware of – Urban Outdoor Connection (UOC).
Continue ReadingHeaded to the park? Looking to do a little shopping? Need a new route to school or work? Forget driving, take the greenway!
Park and Recreation is helping to connect you to the places you love to visit through its 52-mile greenway system. And the best part is, it’s growing! Check out the department’s accelerated greenway development plan.
Continue ReadingThere’s no denying it – we talk about our Park and Rec department a lot. And in doing so, we use terms like “parks” and “nature preserves” pretty often. What we’ve found, though, is that over time people have started to use these terms interchangeably. But they are NOT the same thing! They may (sort of) be similar in the way they look, but the truth is that parks and nature preserves have their own identities and serve their own purposes. Let’s compare.
Continue ReadingWhether you realize it or not, there are many things you probably know about Mecklenburg County government. For starters, you are probably aware that the County is governed by the nine-member Board of County Commissioners. You may also know that Mecklenburg’s day-to-day operations are managed by County Manager Dena R. Diorio. Chances are you are also familiar with a few County services such as Public Health, Department of Social Services or Park and Recreation.
That doesn’t come close to being everything about us, though. There’s so much more that we do and within all of our departments there are so many programs and initiatives that it can be hard to list them all out. But, we do have a few “best kept secrets” that we think you should know!
Continue ReadingHistoric St. Mary’s Chapel, that is, since we’re in Mecklenburg County.
Okay, we know what you’re probably thinking…“What are they getting at here?” Let us back track a little bit.
You likely know that Park and Recreation manages our parks and greenways, but truth be told, their department is responsible for so much more than that. Yes, even weddings are on the list of events they handle! If you’ve got a wedding to plan (or maybe you have a friend or family member who’s looking for a venue), may we suggest a few places to say “I do?”
Continue ReadingThe birds are chirping, the sky is blue, and the sun is bright and warm. If you’re like me, that means any excuse to be outside. Scratch the gym, I’m going for a run! Want to meet me for dinner? As long as it has a patio, I’m in.
It’s nice to pretend that the winter weather is over, but we know that even as we inch closer to spring, there’s always a chance it can come back. The good news: it doesn’t matter the weather or the season – our parks and greenways are there to help you enjoy the outdoors year-round. But, you may notice a few features are unavailable until the temperatures rise for good.
Continue ReadingNot only is it sweater weather, it’s jacket, gloves and hat weather too. Let’s face it folks, it’s cold outside. But hey, it’s winter, it’s supposed to be that way!
However, if you’re not a fan of temperatures struggling to get above 55 (this is the south, that’s cold!), wind gusts that could possibly knock you down on your way to your car, or the constant chance of freezing rain or snow, don’t worry, I have you covered.
From sports to the arts and everything in between, Mecklenburg County offers many fun things that you can do INDOORS either solo or with friends and family. Here are eight great activities.
Continue ReadingThere are a lot of things to love about living in the state of North Carolina, but something we love most is the weather. Even though we get some cold months where it’s better to stay inside, most of our year can be spent outdoors! Thanks to our Park and Rec department, we have a lot of opportunities to explore nature in Mecklenburg County. There are our parks, of course, but then there are also our greenways, nature preserves, and programs like mountain biking and sailing.
But let’s focus on our trails for a minute. When was the last time you went for a hike? With over 50 miles of paved trails and several nature preserves with trails, we have something for hikers of all levels. Here are some of our favorites that we encourage you to check out.
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