Rec Dept Offers Summer Activities

Written by Whitney Cyr

The town of Acton’s Recreation Department provides residents of all ages with some entertainment if summer boredom sets in.

Recreation Department Assistant Melissa Rier said the department has a NARA summer camp for children aged four to 13. It runs nine weeks and includes swimming, theater, sports, game, and arts and crafts. This week in particular, Acton children will head to Plymouth for a Pirate Cruise.

For adults, Rier said the summer concert series is a great source of entertainment. Starting next weekon Tuesday, the Recreation Department will put on a jazz concert series.

“It will be held at the Bathhouse Pavilion, it’s more of a low-key area, and it’s a good place for adults to come and enjoy the music,” Rier said.

This week, at the NARA Park Ampitheater, Acton residents can enjoy several concerts every Thursdayduring the summer. The bands vary, as well as the turn out, Rier noted, but it all depends on the band’s following. 

The paid summer concert on Saturday this week is Gilmore’s Breakfast, a Pink Floyd cover band.

“The amphitheater is for louder, crazier concerts,” Rier said. “With the camps and summer concerts and events, it’s definitely our busy season.”

NARA Park isn’t only the center for summer concerts, it also has two sand volleyball courts for those looking to burn some calories playing the sport, a 500 foot beach, a mile of paved walkway, a large picnic area, and a new baseball field.

The Recreation Department offers a large amount of sports clinics for all ages, including tennis, basketball, track and field, baseball, and martial arts. For those who may not be athletically inclined, the Department’s offerings don’t stop there. Movie making is another class for youth in Acton.

As far as programs for adults, Beginner Line Dancing and Ballroom Dancing are current summer classes. Coming up on August 14, residents can take a bus trip from NARA beach lot into Boston for a harbor cruise called Spirit of Boston.

“Our programs provide entertainment, but they’re also affordable for the community,” Rier said. “There’s a ton of classes as well from toddlers to seniors and all in-between.”

For more information for any program or clinic in addition to program costs, visit http://www.acton-ma.gov/index.aspx?NID=304.