Summertime in the City of Action means camps for the youth in the community including weeklong day camps, mini camps, sports camps, time in the swimming pool and a variety of outdoor activities. Although there has been some uncertainty of programs and events proceeding due to the pandemic, the City of Riverbank Parks and Recreation staff have managed to sustain a few of their programs on a smaller scale and with all the safety protocols necessary.
“I know, the loss of and changes to so many programs has been sad, but we will continue to try and come up with creative methods of bringing the community together in a safe and healthy way,” stated Julia Petit, Recreation Supervisor.
Movies in the park will be held at Jacob Myers Park this Saturday, July 18 with a showing of Frozen II. The movie will begin at dusk on a big screen in the park. There will be circles labeled with paint on the grass to allow guests to safely distance themselves during the movie. Masks are strongly recommended at all Riverbank parks along with frequent hand washing. Guests are allowed to bring blankets, low-back lawn chairs, and snacks. After 8 p.m. all the park amenities will be closed with the exception of watching the feature presentation. The second movie will be held on Saturday, Aug. 15 featuring Jumanji: Next Level.
“We have been running camps, although a bit smaller this year,” said Petit. “Overall, camps have been different than in the past, but the feedback that we have received is that parents and kids are appreciative of the opportunity to get out and have some fun, even if we can’t do everything we planned on.”
Campers are busy at Myth Busters Day Camp this week and hitting the refreshing swimming pool in the afternoons. The final day of camp on Friday will include boat building and then a boat race in the pool.
Happy Camper Day Camp was held in June outdoors at Jacob Myers Park and had 10 campers that participated in games and crafts along with outdoor adventures.
Experiments and afternoon pool time made the Mad Scientist Camp held at the Teen Center at the end of June a treat for 14 campers.
“One highlight has been our cardboard boat races,” expressed Petit with a smile. “The kids worked in teams at the Mad Scientists Day Camp and built boats out of only cardboard and masking tape. The objective was to be able to get their leader across the pool in their boat. The Mad Scientist (5-9 year olds) built some pretty awesome boats, but they weren’t as sea-worthy as they hoped.”
The final camp will be the fifth and sixth grade Boys Basketball Camp from July 27 through July 31 held at the courts at Silva Park.
The annual Cheese and Wine Festival has been officially canceled this year which is the biggest event that the department oversees held in October. The event is another casualty of COVID-19.
The free summer concert in the park series has moved to the fall and is slated for Fridays in September.
The swimming pool has opened with limited occupancy; however, there will not be a swim team this year. Recreational swim has limited hours and swim lessons are available in sessions for a range of ages and levels.
For more information, call 209-863-7150 or visit riverbank.org.
