By Heather Wood

The Town of Kernersville invites residents to attend the 8th annual Earth Day celebration! This year’s event will be held Tuesday, April 12 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden (215 S. Main Street). Kernersville’s Earth Day celebration is free and centers on environmental, conservation, wellness, and sustainability topics. It will feature many exciting eco-friendly products and services, solar and composting demonstrations, food trucks, t-shirt and tree seedling giveaways, free paper shredding, and much more. We are especially excited this year to have a “tiny home” available to tour. Activities for children include arts and crafts with reused material provided by the Scrap Exchange, an Earth Day paint mural, and games.

As part of Earth Day, the Town of Kernersville will host the annual Art for Earth Contest, in which Pre-K – 12th grade students will submit works of art with an environmental stewardship theme. The contest is a great educational and creative outlet for Kernersville’s students! Winners will be recognized by Mayor Dawn Morgan at the May 2016 Board of Alderman meeting.

Also on April 12, the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden will be hosting “Roots of Our Nutrition” as a part of the NC Science Festival. A 25-minute guided tour will cover the functions of roots in plants and how they provide health, stability, and nutritional benefits in vegetables. You will be able to see and taste purple carrots as well as many other vegetables growing in raised beds. Tours will be conducted at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. There is no charge for tours. Teachers are encouraged to bring their students. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. Call 336-996-7888 to your reserve your tour time.

Free parking will be available at the Main Street United Methodist Church (306 S. Main Street). Come out and enjoy all the festivities with your family or students! For more information, contact Public Services at 336-996-6916 or recycle@toknc.com.

Kernersville residents are invited to enjoy free movies on four Friday evenings this summer—compliments of Kernersville Parks and Recreation! All films will be shown at dusk at Harmon Park, located at 152 South Main Street, on a giant inflatable screen. The 1.5 acre park is centrally located in Downtown Kernersville and features picnic facilities, playground, plenty of open space, and downtown parking. Films are shown on the grassy area in the center of the park, so bring a blanket and/or chair. Great activities such as contests, games, and sing-alongs are scheduled to start about an hour prior to the film showing as well as several on-site dinner options!

The 4th annual summer film season kicks off on Friday, May 20 with Minions…
…Ever since the dawn of time, the Minions have lived to serve the most despicable of masters. From T. Rex to Napoleon, the easily distracted tribe has helped the biggest and the baddest of villains. Now, join protective leader Kevin, teenage rebel Stuart, and lovable little Bob on a global road trip where they will earn a shot to work for a new boss—the world’s first female super-villain—and try to save all of Minionkind…from annihilation.

Next up on Friday, June 17, is The Avengers Age of Ultron…
…where Tony Stark creates the Ultron Program to protect the world. When the peace-keeping program becomes hostile, The Avengers go into action to try and defeat a virtually impossible enemy. Earth’s mightiest heroes must come together once again to protect the world from global extinction.

Inside Out comes to Movies in the Park on Friday, July 15…
…Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it is no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions—Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness. The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.

The season wraps up on Friday, September 16, with Hotel Transylvania 2…
…Dracula and his friends try to bring out the monster in his half human, half vampire grandson in order to keep Mavis from leaving the hotel.

For more information about the film series, please call 336-996-3062 or visit our website at www.toknc.com/pr.

Our Summer Camp and Specialty Camp registration is in full swing and the themes and the summer’s field trips are lined up. To register your 6-12 year old child for our 8 week summer camp, please visit our website at www.toknc.com/pr.

Week 1:  June 13-17 | Going Wild! – Field Trip:  Asheboro Zoo
Week 2:  June 20-24 | Hangin’ Out – Field Trip:  Hanging Rock State Park
Week 3:  June 27-July 1 | Going Green – Field Trip:  Greensboro Science Center
*no camp the week of July 4* 
Week 4:  July 11-15 | Party in the USA – Field Trip:  W-S Dash & Hagan Stone Park
Week 5:  July 18-22 | Wet N’ Wild – Field Trip:  Wet N’ Wild Emerald Pointe
Week 6:  July 25-29 | Camper’s Got Talent! – Field Trip:  Hagan Stone Park & NASCAR Cafe
Week 7:  August 1-5 | Mission Impossible – Field Trip:  Airbound Trampoline Park
Week 8:  August 8-12 | Funtastic Finale – Field Trip:  Tanglewood Water Park

Reminder! Our new Summer Leisure Guide will be out at the end of this month and will feature all of our upcoming events, programs, and athletics. We are committed to keeping you and your family happy, healthy, and moving all summer. Look for it online and in local businesses around Kernersville. Feel free to stop by our office just to say hi and pick one up as well.