Where Community Grows and Fun Takes Root:
July celebrates Parks and Recreation Month!
Each July, the City of Port St. Lucie celebrates Park and Recreation Month, an initiative of the National Recreation and Park Association, and a variety of activities are planned for all ages and abilities, including Freedomfest, Glow Up Dodgeball and much more!
This year’s theme, Where Community Grows — celebrates the vital role park and recreation professionals play in bringing people together, providing essential services and fostering the growth of our communities. Port St. Lucie’s Parks and Recreation Department maintains over 48 parks, including four dog parks, two fitness centers and one golf course. Its staff strives to provide the best services – making Port St. Lucie parks and the community shine.
Residents can join in on the celebration in a variety of ways. The schedule for July’s Parks and Recreation Month will include:
- July 4, 2023 - Freedomfest, MIDFLORIDA Event Center. The City’s Fourth of July Celebration will be Tuesday, July 4th, from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at 9221 SE Event Center Place. This year’s event features live music, food and drinks for purchase and one of the largest fireworks displays on the Treasure Coast, beginning at 9:00 PM (weather permitting). Make sure to bring your lawn chair. Free admission and giveaways!
- July 1st thru 31st - Geo-Caching. We’re hiding a handful of caches around our City parks. Collect a unique sticker piece at each location. Once you’ve discovered all 6 stickers, proudly place them on your Park & Recreation month water bottle. The $5 registration fee covers the cost of providing participants with a water bottle, stickers, and GPS coordinates. There are a limited number of water bottles, so don’t wait! For park locations and coordinates, please register in-person at Minsky Gym, 750 SW Darwin Boulevard, daily from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. To learn more, visit www.cityofpsl.com/geocaching.
- July 17th thru July 21st - Art Camp, MIDFLORIDA Event Center. The 5-day art camp will be Monday-Friday, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM and offers a variety of age-specific projects, skills and materials. Artists will create in various mediums, including acrylic paint, canvas board, liquid watercolor and ink, oil pastel, and marker. Classes are taught by Recreation Instructor Jen Foglia. Pre-registration is online or in-person. Space is limited. Ages 10-15. The cost is $160 per week.
- July 6th thru July 27th - Walk with Ease, Woodstork Trail Park. Whether you need relief from arthritis pain or want to be active, this free, six-week program will be Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. It will teach you how to make physical activity part of your everyday life. The Walk with Ease program is proven to reduce the pain and discomfort of arthritis, increase balance and build confidence in your ability to be physically active. This instructor-led program is self-paced so that participants can progress at their own rate.
- July 22nd - E-sports Tournament, MIDFLORIDA Event Center. This double elimination tournament gives you the chance to win some sweet gaming gear and bragging rights, so you better bring your “A” game. Tournament matches will be 1v1. Enter for your chance to win! Please be advised that Fortnite is rated "Teen" by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). In this action game, players build forts, gather resources, and battle in frenetic combat. Pre-registration is online or in-person. Space is limited. Ages 10-18. The cost is $10 per person. Tournament times by age group as follows: 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM for ages 10-13; noon to 3:00 PM for ages 14-17; and 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM for ages 18 and up.
- July 29th - Glow-Up Dodgeball, MIDFLORIDA Event Center. The gymnasium will be transformed into a luminous, dodgeball arena. Assemble your squad for total domination! Team registrations only for this double-elimination tournament. Minimum of 6 players per team. $75 per team. Wear your white and/or fluorescent clothes (preferably matching your teammates) to stand out! Ages 10 and older. Pre-registration is online or in-person. Space is limited. Sessions take place Saturday, July 29th, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM for ages 10-13; noon to 4:00 PM for ages 14-17; and 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM for ages 18 and up.
- July 28th & 29th - First Annual Michelle Park Night Golf Tournament, Saints Golf Course. Join the team as we have fun for a good cause. The Saints is proud to host this inaugural fundraiser to honor Michelle Park, national park and recreation leader and Parks & Recreation's former CAPRA Technical Expert. The format is a six-hole scramble; putting contests, prizes and “glow” balls included. Reception starts at 7:00 PM, golf starts at 8:00 PM. The cost is $25 for nonparticipants and $35 for participants. For more information, call 772-398-2901.
We invite our community to share how parks and recreation have benefitted them and positively impacted their quality of life on social media by tagging @cityofpsl on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #WhereCommunityGrows.
For more information regarding Port St. Lucie's July is Park and Recreation Month activities, visit the full calendar of events at www.pslparks.com or call 772-878-2277.
