PRCA News

Score more fun and fitness with Pop Warner Football or Cheerleading! The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (PRCA) Department provides a great opportunity to be active and learn with Pop Warner sports We teach our youth that character counts through fairness, caring, citizenship, respect, responsibility and trustworthiness, with a focus on academic achievement.

With the summer heating up, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department (PRCA) has cool, free teen programs to keep the fun going all season long. Summer Heatwave is back with Coed Basketball, a Teen Lounge and Pool Parties!

As part of the City of Gainesville, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, Nature Operation’s routine land management practices, a prescribed burn is scheduled for today, weather and site conditions permitting, at Boulware Springs Nature Park, 3300 SE 15th St, beginning at 10:00 AM and ending before 5:00 P.M. This is an ecological restoration and fuel reduction burn, which will be conducted with support from the Florida Forest Service. The burn will be conducted in the restoration area of the property, and all public access to the northern portion of the park will be prohibited.

The Gainesville Arts & Parks (GAP) Foundation raised more than $7,000 at its first golf scramble held May 13 at Ironwood Golf Course. The monies will provide youth scholarships for summer camps and other activities. A small group of 20 players, some from as far away as The Villages and Ocala, played 18 holes on a picture perfect day to help youth in the Gainesville community. Additionally, several businesses and individuals sponsored the event, which garnished additional funds and support of Gainesville’s youth.

The City of Gainesville Public Works Department’s Operations Team will be installing additional concrete fines to improve ADA accessibility on the trail system around Cell 1 at Sweetwater Wetlands Park. Work on the project will take place on Thursday, May 26 and Tuesday, May 31. The park will remain open, but visitors are advised that there will be heavy equipment on the trails. For any questions, comments or concerns, please contact Eric McKinnon, Assistant Operations Manager for the Public Works Department at 352-334-5072 or MckinnonCE@cityofgainesville.org.

A celebration of African-American Music Appreciation Month occurs every Friday night in June at the Bo Diddley Plaza as part of the “Free Fridays” concert series. Inspired by the dream of late local musicians Richard Baxter and Roland Burns, African-American Music Appreciation Month has been celebrated in Gainesville since 1998.

The Thomas Center Galleries announce a new double exhibition CONFLUENCE :: LENNIE & JESSE featuring the work of two of Gainesville’s most esteemed masters - Lennie Kesl and Jesse Aaron. THE FACES OF KESL Drawings by Lennie Kesl with photographs by Charlotte Kesl and TREE OF LIFE The Work of Jesse Aaron will be on view in the Thomas Center Main and Mezzanine Galleries from Friday, May 27 to Tuesday, Sept. 20. The opening reception for CONFLUENCE :: LENNIE & JESSE is Friday, May 27, from 7-10 p.m. during Artwalk Gainesville.

Other Voices has been delighting fans for the past 15 years with a winning combination of instrumental chops and exquisite vocal harmonies. This Gainesville acoustic quartet features an eclectic mix of genres with their own songwriting, and also mines a rich vein of vintage pop songs, best exemplified by their rendition of “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” a showcase of stellar harmonies and accomplished guitar playing that has brought audiences to their feet. It was audience reactions to that song that inspired the group to perform an entire concert featuring the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, in cooperation with Shakerag Culture Center, Inc., is pleased to announce the upcoming Jewel Box Concert at the Historic Thomas Center, Thursday, May 26 featuring an intimate evening with Walter Parks. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online before the event for $18 (credit cards only) at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2505437, or are $20 at the door the day of the show (cash or check only).

The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department presents Gypsy jazz band Hot Club de Ville Friday, May 20 from 8-10 p.m. at the newly-renovated Bo Diddley Plaza. The public is invited to bring their blankets and lawn chairs to our beautiful downtown amphitheater and enjoy this free concert under the stars.