Release date:                  Friday, September 28, 2012 · 11:10 am

Media contacts:                Construction: Brian Solis (757) 385-1109

                                      Event details: Amy Woodson (757) 385-0415

Get ready for a whole new kind of fun! The ribbon cutting ceremony for Virginia Beach’s newest facilities, Williams Farm Recreation Center, Skate Park and Park, will be held at 4 pm, October 26, 2012. A grand opening celebration will be held 9 am - 4:45 pm, Saturday, October 27, 2012. Located at 5252 Learning Circle, the Williams Farm Recreation Center, Skate Park and Park are located off Newtown Road, between Diamond Spring and Newtown Elementary Schools in the Western Bayside area of Virginia Beach.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 4 pm, Friday, October 26, 2012 in front of Williams Farm Recreation Center. The winning youth who gets to be the first person to venture down the three-story water slide will be announced during the ceremony. The public will then be invited to explore and enjoy the recreation center. Guided tours will be available, or individuals may explore the facility on their own. Free entry to Williams Farm Recreation Center will continue through Friday, November 2, 2012.

The fun will be in high gear during the grand opening celebration 9 am to 4:45 pm, Saturday, October 26, 2012. Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation staff have planned a variety of activities, with something available for everyone. With free admission and no cost for the activities, it is easy to try a variety of programs to see which you like best. Early Childhood Program staff will be happy to watch children while parents participate in a recreation center activity or class during the grand opening celebration. Scheduled activities include:

• 9 am - 10 am               Forever Young program: Wii games, party bridge & board games
• 9 am - 12 noon          Boxing and TRX™ class demonstrations
• 9 am - 12 noon          Early Childhood arts & crafts
• 9 am - 12 noon          Early Childhood Program staff meet & greet
• 9 am - 4:45 pm           Skate park demonstrations 
• 9:30 am - 12 noon    Fitness class samplers, including 360 Box, Viper Total Body, Circuit Drills Calorie Kills, Zumba, and more. 
• 10 am                            Orientations of circuit weight and cardiovascular equipment
• 10 am                             Pool current channel rubber duckie race & climbing wall challenges
• 10 am - 10:30 am      Forever Young program: Healthy Eating guest speaker
• 10:30 am - 11 am       Forever Young program: exercise to music
• 11 am - 12 noon        Forever Young program: entertainment
• 12 noon                        Orientations of circuit weight and cardiovascular equipment
• 12 noon                        Pool current channel rubber ducky race & climbing wall challenges
• 12 noon - 3 pm          Free popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy in the park
• 12 noon - 3 pm          Outdoor games, inflatables & face painting in the park
• 12 noon - 3 pm          Touch a Truck with vehicles from Police, Fire, Public Works, Public Utilities and more
• 12:30 pm - 2 pm        Youth sport challenges
• 12:30 - 4:45 pm          Youth games in the youth activity room
• 2 pm                              Orientations of circuit weight and cardiovascular equipment
• 2 pm                              Pool current channel rubber duckie race & climbing wall challenges
• 2 pm - 3 pm                Sports obstacle course -- wear your favorite team jersey!
• 3 pm - 4 pm                Volleyball, badminton & pickleball net games
• 4 pm                              Orientations of circuit weight and cardiovascular equipment

About the facilities:

The Williams Farm Recreation Center is a 71,000 square foot innovative facility like none other in Virginia Beach. The recreation center is designed to be a LEED® silver-certified building, integrating water quality, sustainable site and building development elements, and operating practices for environmental stewardship and energy efficiency. Families will flock to the indoor water playground, 156-ft. three-story curving slide (which goes outside the building before returning into the pool), outdoor sprayground, and rock climbing wall. Fitness enthusiasts will appreciate the spacious cardiovascular, free weight, and fitness class areas, as well as the indoor track which overlooks the pool and gym.  Teens will love the new multimedia room where they can create, produce and promote their own music and videos. Williams Farm Recreation Center also includes an indoor gymnasium, and outdoor court/play area, classroom space for early childhood programs, and meeting rooms.

Williams Farm Recreation Center will be open:

Monday – Thursday: 6 am – 9:30 pm

Friday: 6 am – 9 pm

Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm

Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm

Program areas close 15 minutes prior to the building closing time

A Virginia Beach Recreation Center membership will be required starting Saturday, November 3, 2012. For details about recreation center memberships and rates, please visit www.VBgov.com/recmembership.  Membership is affordable, even if you live outside of Virginia Beach; reduced rates are available for residents who qualify.

Roll out to the Williams Farm Skate Park, a custom concrete 25,000 square foot skate park designed and built by Team Pain. The skate park incorporates LED- lighting which allows activities on the concrete until 9 pm. Skaters will be challenged on the tiered bowl, flow park, and urban skate plaza. The Williams Farm Skate Park will be open 8 am to 9 pm daily. A free skate park pass and helmet are required. Elbow and knee pads are strongly encouraged.

The adjacent 30-acre Williams Farm Park features large central space for athletic play, an asphalt multi-use path, and parking. The park also has restrooms, picnic shelters, a park office, and paths that connect to the neighborhoods.  The Williams Farm Park will open at 7:30 am daily. The park will close at 6:30 pm (the closing times vary seasonally based upon the time of sunset and programming requirements).

For details about the construction of the Williams Farm Community Recreation Center and Park, please contact Brian Solis at bsolis@VBgov.com or  (757) 385-1109. For more information about the ribbon cutting ceremony, contact Amy Woodson at awoodson@VBgov.com or (757) 385-0415.

Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation’s vision is a balanced, sustainable and value-focused system of parks, recreation and public spaces that creates a sense of community.  We are accredited by CAPRA, the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association. For more information, call (757) 385-1100 (TTY: 711 Virginia Relay), visit VBgov.com/parks or sign up for our email newsletters at VBgov.com/eNews.

Caryl Thompson

Media & Communications Coordinator

Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation