Building Tradition & Community Growth

By Amber Mabe

Kernersville is often recognized for being a vibrant community, blending the warmth of small-town tradition with innovative growth and expanding opportunities. With a population that has nearly doubled over the last thirty years, town officials and developers have had to be intentional in planning community spaces that would best serve Kernersville residents. Recently, The Kernersville Parks and Recreation Department opened the doors to a new facility that has been nearly five decades in the making.

The idea of a multipurpose building that would provide classrooms, a gym, and office space was first proposed by a member of the Kernersville Board of Aldermen in 1979. Many attempts were made over the years to renovate or build facilities in several of Kernersville’s well-loved parks, including proposed locations in Fourth of July Park and Civitan Fitness Park. Plans eventually shifted to the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex, and additional land was purchased in the early 2000’s. The need for a recreation center only increased as town leaders noticed the growing demand for hosting youth sports. After hosting the baseball World Series qualifier tournaments in both 2002 and 2003, the stage was set for Kernersville to become a hub for regional and national youth sports tournaments and related tourism. Currently, Kernersville hosts sports events and tournaments nearly every weekend of the year, bringing hundreds of new visitors to the Kernersville area. Considering this massive opportunity, an idea was born to erect a building that would serve as a gathering place for the community and a flexible venue for tournaments and events. Despite the planning stage coinciding with unprecedented supply chain shortages and rising costs in building materials, a solid plan was developed. Plans for the new recreation center would be a two-stage process of which the new building is the first half.

In 2024, the building finally became a reality thanks to the perseverance of community leaders. “It has been a huge team effort,” says current Director of Parks and Recreation, Ernie Pages. “It was not just the Kernersville Parks and Recreation department and staff by ourselves. It has been an entire town team effort that brought this building to completion.” Director Pages mentions current and former members of the Board of Aldermen, Mayor Dawn Morgan, Town Manager Curtis Swisher, his department head peers, as well as countless other members of the community as being highly supportive and influential in bringing the Recreation and Event Center project to fruition.

The new Kernersville Recreation and Event Center is a sprawling 56,000 square feet and boasts modern architectural design and aesthetics while serving as a practical, multi-use space. The building includes three basketball courts, a fitness room, a multipurpose room, a classroom, office space, a conference room, and an elevated walking track. The new building stands proudly at the corner of Union Cross Road and Shields Road, as a landmark for anyone entering town or visiting the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex. The picturesque building, with its clean lines and giant windows, is truly a product well worth the long wait and hard work. With the ability to seat over 600 people as a venue, the event center is filling a need that has been felt in Kernersville for many years. “Until now, if someone wanted to host a wedding, banquet, or other event where more than one hundred and fifty people could sit down for a meal, you would have to go outside Kernersville,” says Director Pages. The new facility opens the door for larger private and public events, conferences, and even dramatic productions like those put on by the Kernersville Little Theater. It will expand opportunities for the many summer camps, youth sport leagues, and other programming that Kernersville Parks and Recreation hosts year-round, as well as creating a space where members of the local community can spend time doing the athletic and leisure activities they enjoy. Providing all these things without requiring memberships or charging more than the minimal necessary program fees is an important part of the Kernersville Parks and Recreation Department’s mission.

This month, one of the most beloved events of the year will find its new home at the Kernersville Recreation and Event Center. The annual Father-Daughter Dance was first held the Saturday before Valentine’s Day in 2003, and has become a highly-anticipated tradition for many families in the community. The ticketed event started with 73 attendees the first year, and steadily increased the following years until the demand outgrew the capacity of the venue. For several years, the event has sold out nearly immediately, leaving an average of 100 people on a waiting list. In 2024, the 530 available tickets sold out in only fifteen minutes. The Parks and Recreation Department is excited about the ability to accommodate up to 650 daughters and father-figures for the treasured event this month. Director Pages, who started the event in 2003, says he looks back fondly on the two decades of cherished memories he has watched families in the area build surrounding the Father-Daughter Dance. “We have girls who have come for twenty years with their dads, and they reminisce about all the different themes and decorations they saw over the years,” Director Pages shares. “This event is more than just little girls and their dads. It is an opportunity to create a bonding experience for daughters of all ages and their father figures.” From young families to multi-generational groups of daughters, fathers, and grandfathers, to the long-lasting bond between women in their sixties treasuring their father’s twilight years, the event and the many personal stories surrounding it hold a special place in the hearts of the Kernersville community. This year promises to be just as special, featuring a glamorous Hollywood theme to inaugurate the new space.

Whether it be upholding precious traditions, bringing in exciting new events such as this month’s Southwest Regional Cheerleading Championship, or simply providing a safe space to walk with a friend on a rainy day, the new Kernersville Recreation and Event Center is serving a much-needed role in the community. Keep an eye out for details on the planned second phase and all the exciting opportunities that will come with it. For up-to-date information on upcoming events and programming taking place at the new building, follow Kernersville Parks and Recreation on social media, or check out their website at kvparks.com.

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