Parks and Recreation gearing up for busy summer

With last Saturday's opening of the Family Aquatic Center for the summer of 2017, the Siloam Springs Parks and Recreation Department's busy season has officially begun. In addition to this past weekend's opening of the FAC, which has been refreshed with work to repair the slide, pool and mechanical equipment, the department is hosting or funding three events in June.

The first of those events is the Kids' Fishing Derby, which will take place along the banks of Sager Creek in historic downtown Siloam Springs on Saturday, June 3, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The event is targeted to kids aged 3-12, though Recreation Coordinator Libby Garrison said there isn't technically a minimum age.

Participating kids are eligible to win prizes in several categories, divided by age group. Prizes will be awarded for longest fish, heaviest fish and most fish caught. There is no set limit for the number of fish a single participant can catch, though Garrison said kids should be limited to one fishing pole each.

Garrison stressed that the fishing derby is for the kids, and parents should help their young anglers, not take over the fishing themselves.

"We get a lot of very excited parents," Garrison said.

For the third year, the department will be using a net purchased for the event to corral the fish into the fishing area to make sure participants have plenty of fish to catch. The fish will come from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, which funds the event through a state grant program.

No fishing licenses are required, as the Game and Fish Commission does not require licenses for anglers under the age of 16.

The next weekend, The Parks and Recreation Department will host the first Movies in the Park event, located at Bob Henry Park, near the playground designed for young children. The movie for the June iteration of the event will be Disney's animated feature film "Moana," rated PG.

Garrison said participants are encouraged to bring something to sit on, like a blanket or a chair, and snacks. The movie will start when it gets dark, which Garrison said should be around 9 p.m. The event is free, and Garrison said it has proved popular in the past, drawing crowds of 200 people.

The third event hosted by the department will be Second Saturday Music. Taking place on the second Saturday of the month, the event will be a concert at the gazebo in Twin Springs Park starting at 7:30 p.m. The event's featured performers will be Lukas Pool and Eden Forman, both of whom graduated from the Berkely School of Music in Boston, Mass., according to the event's Facebook page.

General News on 05/28/2017