By Heather Chapman

I love the holidays! It gives us time to slow down and reflect; recharge and enjoy the true meaning of the holiday season.  In just a few weeks there will be plenty of holiday traditions upon us, making it the perfect time to spend with friends and family. Whether you are team put the tree up before Thanksgiving or after, by now, most of us have already started pulling out our Christmas décor. Winding down to a night indoors with the ambiance of your lit tree, a cup of hot cocoa, and your favorite Christmas movie could not sound more perfect!  Do not worry, if the hustle and bustle is more your speed, there are lots of community events to enjoy as well.

If the holiday stress is starting to get you down, why not try our Beginner Morning Yoga class on Mondays at 9:30AM at the Community Recreation Center (125 E. Bodenhamer St., Kernersville). This class is perfect for those who are stay-at-home-moms, if you work-from-home, or are retired. This class focuses on basic yoga poses, form, balance, strength, and stretching. No need for experience, the poses can be modified to fit your physical needs. 

If high intensity is more your speed, we also offer Zumba and Xtreme Hip Hop step classes that will get your heart rate up and you will feel the stress melt away. To see a full list of all our programs visit www.kvparks.com. 

This time of year, we like to take a moment to thank our community for supporting us and our mission throughout the year. We are so thankful for your ongoing support and sponsorships of our organization’s events. Your generous sponsorships have made a tremendous impact on allowing us the opportunity to offer quality family-friendly, free events to our community. Your kindness and support mean the world to us, and we hope you continue to be a part of our journey and look forward to 2024! 

The Kernersville Parks and Recreation office has been receiving a wave of calls and interest in the new Community Recreation and Events Center currently being constructed at the corner of Shields and Union Cross Road. If you have recently driven by the site, you can see how quickly things have been progressing. The main entrance, framing of the parking lot, footing for the building and sewer lines have all now been completed. The walls are going up and closing in the space, and pretty soon the exterior of the building will be completed.  The building timeline is currently on schedule and hoping to move to the interior before the cold winter months.  The completion of the building is expected to be completed by the end of 2024!

The new expansion will add new amenities and features to the current park, giving the town a much-needed community space for fitness and competition. The space will be approximately 50,000 square feet in size and will feature a variety of amenities. On the first level: Three basketball courts, six volleyball courts, an elevated stage, a fitness room, a multipurpose room, and indoor classrooms. Then the second level will have a walking track above one of the basketball courts, staff offices, and conference room.

With the excitement of the new building, stay tuned for exclusive articles, generated by our Parks and Recreation Director, Ernie Pages, about the continuing updates to the new Kernersville Parks Community Recreation and Events Center! You can also visit www.kvparks.com for aerial views of the current construction. 

With another year under our belt, it is hard to believe we will be ringing in the New Year in just a few weeks! There is so much hope and excitement surrounding 2024, and for me personally I am ready to check off a few of my long-awaited boxes of accomplishments. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!