Autumn Days Are Here Again

oct-14-prby Heather Wood

When you feel that first crisp breeze, you know that summer is gone and fall is in the air.  Every season has its upside; however, autumn has a particular beauty to it.  Lovers of the season revel in its unique ability to turn the world into one big canvas with nature’s paintbrush.  Pumpkin patches, hayrides, fall foliage, apple picking, corn mazes, and pumpkin spiced lattes, are many reasons to enjoy fall.

The fall season also brings the return of everyone’s favorite pastime.  Fall football in the South is a long time staple, and the rush of team comradery on the field is not only limited to the pigskin.  In Kernersville, the sport of Lacrosse is growing by leaps and bounds and will soon be a fixture in our new Bagley Lacrosse & Field Sports Complex.

The first phase of the Bagley Lacrosse & Field Complex is now complete, and will be hosting its first major event the first weekend in October.  The Inside Lacrosse Carolina Boys Invitational will take place on Saturday, October 4th and Sunday, October 5th at the new Bagley Lacrosse Facility behind Cash Elementary School in Kernersville.  This event is a two-day Southeast Boys Recruiting Showcase that features top talent on teams coached by both college and local high school coaches.  The event gives players an opportunity to experience a simulated college practice, compete for college coaches, be seen by college recruiters, and compete in an All-Star game Saturday evening.  It is expected to have over 225 of the top high school lacrosse players in the Southeast attending along with spectators.

The NCHSAA will be coming back to Kernersville for its fourth consecutive year to host their Invitational, Regional, and State Cross Country meets at Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex.  This is a huge event and draws many spectators to Kernersville during the months of October and November.  There are four high school conference levels, representing 64 teams total.  The Kernersville Parks and Recreation Maintenance staff spends many hours prepping and conditioning the cross country course, so it will be in pristine condition for the meets.  The top four teams in each classification at the regional level qualify for the state event.  In addition, the top five individuals not on a qualifying team advance from regional to state.  This is always an exciting time of year, as this is a large revenue generator for Kernersville.

The 2014 Southern Conference Cross Country Championships will be held on Friday, October 31 at Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.  The University of North Carolina at Greensboro will host the event.  This will be the 85th Annual Cross Country Championship for the men and the 30th for the women.  The women will compete at 10:00am in a 5K meet and then the men will follow at 10:45am in an 8K.  The following universities will be represented:  East Tennessee State University, Furman University, Mercer University, UNCG, Sanford University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Virginia Military Institute, Western Carolina, and Wofford College.

Furman took home both the men’s and the women’s titles in 2013. UNCG’s Paul Chelimo took home his third consecutive men’s title and Chattanooga’s Teghan Henderson took home the women’s title.

After the meet, come trick-or-treat through Downtown Kernersville on Friday, October 31.  Downtown Halloween is a special event designed just for children (ages 10 and under) and their parents.  Bring your goodie bag to use for trick-or-treating, then creep your way throughout downtown and see all of the friendly characters that line the streets giving away candy.

The business owners in Downtown love to see the cute costumes and put a smile on each kids face as they say “Trick-or-Treat”.  A map of participating businesses will be posted in the downtown merchant windows prior to the event.  While receiving candy, listen to a live band provided by Main Street Baptist Church, watch Captain Jim perform his magic tricks, play various games, and see a mock jail demonstration by the Kernersville Police Department.

Join local businesses and volunteers participating in Downtown for a fun and safe community Halloween for the entire family and goodies for costumed kids.  Prepare for a hauntingly good time from 6:00pm – 8:00pm on Friday, October 31 as the scary, the cute, the ugly, and the creepy descend on Downtown Kernersville.

The Community Center at Kernersville Parks and Recreation facility will look like an old-fashioned county fair Saturday, November 8 (New Date) from 6:30pm – 8:30pm.  Mothers and sons will have a friendly competition during the annual Mother/Son Game Night, which gives them a chance to spend some quality time together.

Stations will be set up in every inch of the Community Center gym, along with gaming stations, and light snacks to munch on.  Once they arrive, boys and moms head into the gym to work off their energy at an inflatable dance station, a mobile video game theatre, ring toss or bean bag stations, and a laser tag station.  For a bit quieter mother/son fun, participants could head upstairs to the black light bingo room.

The Mother/Son Game Night is something for the moms and boys to enjoy each year at Kernersville Parks and Recreation, while fathers and daughters get the chance to attend the daddy/daughter dance, which is held in February.  Tickets are available online at www.toknc.com/pr.  Early bird pre-sale tickets are $10 each.  Tickets purchased after October 24 or at the door will be $15 each.

Kernersville Parks and Recreation would like to welcome back Brandi Lineberry as the Recreation Program Supervisor for the Parks and Recreation Department.  Brandi worked as the Recreation Operations Supervisor for the department back in 2009 and after about a year, her husband earned a promotional opportunity to move to San Diego, CA.  Brandi quickly secured a position as a Recreation Coordinator for the City of Escondido, CA and served the Southern California community in that capacity for four years.  While enjoying endless sunshine, friends and two children later, Brandi’s husband received a prospect to move back east to be closer to family again.  In March 2013, they moved back to Kernersville and are again working for the Parks and Recreation Department.  Brandi is thrilled to be back at work and is excited to see our department and Kernersville continue to grow.

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Leaf Season Curb Pick-Up:  November 3 – December19

Fall Clean-Up/Bulky Item Pick-Up:  October 6-16 

 

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