by Parks, Recreation and Tourism

It’s July which means two things—it’s officially summer, and it’s Park and Recreation Month! We hope you’ll join us throughout the month as we have plenty of activities lined up for the whole family. Everything from live band karaoke, to historic tours, to sporting activities, adapted programs and more. Join us for endless fun this month! And stayed tuned for more information on how you can enter a special raffle we’re doing to celebrate Park and Recreation Month.

Sing Your Heart Out at Fridays at 5 – Karaoke Edition! 
On Friday, July 14, Fridays at 5 will be a special karaoke edition with our live band, Perfekt Blend. Have you ever wanted to be part of a band? Now you can! Come sing karaoke on stage in between performances by the band. Sign up to sing and enter your song request here.

Join us at Sean T. Connaughton Plaza for this fun and free event (food and beverages available for purchase), presented by VA StrEats and sponsored by Prince William County Parks, Recreation and Tourism and Luxe Entertainment. Learn more about Fridays at 5 here. Also mark your calendars for Friday, July 28 with band Justin Trawick & The Common Good.

Take a Guided Historic Tour
Bristoe Station Battlefield staff and volunteers provide guided tours of this hallowed ground that contains camps, cemeteries and battlefields. Guided tours are offered at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm on the second and fourth weekend of the month from May through October. Learn more about Camp Jones and the battles that took place in 1862 and 1863. For more information click here. You can also join us for Wednesdays Walks at Bristoe Station Battlefield. The next walk will take place on July 5. Click here for more details or to reserve your spot.

Learn Archery with the Family 
Are you looking for a great and fun-filled activity for the whole family? Then come out to Silver Lake Park, Locust Shade Park, Lake Ridge Park or Veterans Memorial Park and enjoy the outdoors while learning archery together. This program focuses on archery fundamentals like range rules, safety and proper techniques. Instruction provided by National Archery Association certified staff. All equipment is provided. Sign up here.

Enter Our Wildlife Photo Contest
Prince William County Parks, Recreation & Tourism invites you to enter our photo contest by submitting your wildest photo of the parks! You may submit images in any of these categories: birds; mammals, baby animals (young of any species); other wildlife (underwater life, reptiles, amphibians, insects, spiders, macro and more); and young photographers (ages 7-17). For more details including full rules and how to enter, click here.

Experience Our Adapted Programs
We’ve got a variety of adapted programs available this month from water activities like aqua zumba and flatwater kayaking, to art classes.

Prince William County Parks, Recreation & Tourism is proud to offer these programs for individuals with disabilities, and we are committed to creating a community of choice for all residents with equal access to programs, classes, camps and activities. These programs are run by qualified instructors who have experience working with people of all abilities to include Special Education Teachers, Behavior Therapists, and Recreation Therapists. To register for one of our upcoming adapted classes, click here. For any questions, please contact ADA Coordinator, Veronica Laughman via email here.

Compete in a Remote-Controlled Car Race 
Welcome beginner remote-control car enthusiasts (ages 17+)! Locust Shade Park, in partnership with IAM-RC Hobby Shop is hosting the first ever remote-controlled car race. The event will take place on Saturday, July 22. This will be a chance for participants to compete and learn how to use their remote-controlled cars. A MYLAPS transponder will be required to race and 2Cell Lipo Battery. Sign up here. 

Shop or Sell at Our Community Yard Sale
Clean out your closet/home and make some cash at our July 15 yard sale or do some second hand shopping. We provide you with a spot and a locally advertised event. Used household items only. No commercial sales, live flowers or food and drink sales of any kind. Space size 10′ x 20′. Must reserve space in advance. Call 703-792-8320. You can also shop our yard sale on July 1 – both events will take place at Pat White Center at Ben Lomond. 

Keep Cool at the Pool
The hot, summer weather is finally here and Prince William County Parks pools and waterparks are ready! We’ve got three outdoor community pools, plus Veterans Park Pool which is an outdoor community pool with two slides. We also have two waterparks—SplashDown Waterpark and Waterworks. Click here for the latest hours, pricing and other information on our waterparks and pools. We encourage you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for weather updates/closings. You can also follow SplashDown’s Facebook page and WaterWorks’ Facebook page for the latest updates.

Join our Summer Basketball League
It’s not too late to sign your child up for our summer basketball league for kids/teens (age 9-11 or 12-15, two separate leagues) at Sharron Baucom Dale City Recreation Center. Practice will be held during the week and games will be on Saturdays. This league will consist of six practices and six games. Saturday game times will be between 10 am-4 pm. No practice on July 24 or July 26. Sign up here.

Participate in our Longest Drive Competition
Locust Shade Park is hosting the Longest Drive Competition on July 29 at the driving range, open to ages 18+. After the event bring a picnic and your family and stay to enjoy mini-golf, batting cages, warrior course, mountain biking and all that Locust Shade has to offer. Register here.

Volunteer at our Victory at Vets Kids Triathlon on July 16
Volunteers are needed for our Victory at Vets Kids Triathlon on Sunday, July 16. Duties may include: course marking; course guidance/direction; course cleanup, relief (water) station. Responsibilities will include but are not limited to: being part of the team that ensures safety for everyone at all times (including oneself); overt acts of encouragement for the young competitors; excessive smiling and/or cheering and loud clapping. A background check is required. Please contact Beverly McIntyre (bmcintyre@pwcgov.org) by July 1 if you’re interested in volunteering.