By Heather Wood

Do you ever find yourself reminiscing about your childhood days? The family trip to the beach each summer? Weekend backyard barbecues? Fishing with dad? Cooking with mom? Special Sunday breakfasts? Most of our happiest childhood memories are likely to be centered around some family tradition. Traditions are the foundation of strong family bonds. Today’s family life looks a lot different than it did a generation or two ago.

As families become more and more disconnected due to hectic schedules, there seems to be less time to enjoy the simple traditions that were once a vital part of everyday family life. For many, the holidays have shifted from meaningful time spent together to trying to balance the stresses of work, seasonal decorating, gift buying, and active kids on school break.

Many of us miss the many little traditions that embodied our childhood, yet find it difficult to fit them back into our current way of life. However, family traditions do not have to be complex, time-consuming, or even expensive in order to have great impact. Kernersville Parks and Recreation strives to provide our community and families quality events and programs that everyone can enjoy.

Kernersville kicks off the holiday season with a full weekend of events that is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit and maybe start a few traditions of your own. Spend a day shopping in Downtown Kernersville and shop the “Christmas Around the World” Holiday Open House from 3-7 p.m. and then stroll down to Harmon Park to watch the Annual lighting of the Christmas Tree on December 3 at 7 p.m. Then come back to downtown for the Kernersville Christmas Parade that many families enjoy!

The Kernersville Christmas tree lighting was started back in the 1970’s by Jack and Martha Pierce. It became a family tradition with their two kids Rick and Pam to take an artificial tree down to Harmon Park, decorate and light it for the Town to enjoy. Fast forward to today and the tradition still continues the first weekend in December to mark the beginning of the holiday season. Enjoy carols with local chorus, sip on hot cocoa provided by Pierce-Jefferson Funeral Home, light the tree, and enjoy a special visit from Santa and friends!

Kernersville Parks and Recreation has a few deadlines approaching for any families interested in staying busy this winter. Our Men’s Basketball League will start up in January but teams are encouraged to register now through December. Spend your time on the court instead of on the couch. Men of all playing abilities are welcome and games will be held on Friday evenings.

KPRD also offers Crews Control Basketball Clinics for youth during the month of November. The clinics provide boys and girls grades K-5^th, a chance to take their game to the next level by giving them the opportunity to improve their fundamentals. Participants will learn passing, ball handling, rebounding, court spacing, team offense, and defensive skills. Players will have fun and gain confidence allowing them to create their own winning formulas on and off the court.

Speaking of indoor pursuits, KPRD will be hosting our Beginners Oil Painting class on Thursday, November 10 downstairs at the Kernersville Library. Students will follow step-by-step demonstration and instruction by the instructor in design, color, and application of paint. Join us in creating delightful works of art from beginning to end. All we need are students with open minds! This month working with the holiday theme will be “Holiday Trim.”

Just in time for the holidays, Kernersville Parks and Recreation invites you to give the gift of health and well-being by registering for a class for yourself or your family. Our programs promote healthy habits and provide opportunities for positive growth and life-long learning—the perfect gift for everyone you care about. Be sure to check out our upcoming Winter 2017 Leisure Guide early next month to see what we have to offer and give the gift of recreation this season!

This time of the year, many businesses begin crunching numbers and thinking about where they can give back to the community. As passionate professionals, it is our strong belief that the services and programs provided through Parks and Recreation are a critical component to the high quality of life in our community. Kernersville is a desirable, safe, and fun place to live, work, and play. This is largely due to the well-maintained parks, facilities, organized special events that produce memories, and opportunities to meet new people and socialize through structured and drop-in programs. All these things combined create a sense of place in our community.

We are committed to working with you! If you or your business is interested in sponsoring any of our upcoming 2017 events, leagues, or programs please contact Heather Wood, Marketing & Community Relations Specialist at 336-996-6421 for more information. Oh behalf of the entire KPRD staff, we would like to thank again the businesses who continue to support us and allow us to offer quality events and programs for our community.

There are many small ways to bring traditions into our daily lives. Attending a local event, going for an evening walk through the park, watching a sporting event, or participating in a program together can become part of a weekly routine. These are some of the little things your children will remember as they grow older, and likely will pass on to their children.