PRCA News

The restrooms and showers at Dwight H. Hunter (Northeast) Pool, located at 1100 NE 14th Street, are closed due to a water line break. While the break is repaired, please use the restroom and shower facilities available next door at the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

On Friday, March 2, from 3 to 4 p.m., the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department (PRCA) is participating in Read Across America Day, a national literacy event started by the National Education Association (NEA).

Professional contractors working for GRU will be using an airboat and hand crews to treat aquatic weeds at Sweetwater Wetlands Park during the week of February 19. Targeting these weeds is important to the functioning of the wetland. The herbicide treatment will also help prevent the spread of invasive species from Sweetwater Wetlands Park to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. We apologize for the noise, and for any inconvenience this may cause. The park will be open as scheduled. If you have any questions, please speak to the ranger on duty; contact information is posted at the entry pavilion.

Join us at Morningside Nature Center’s Living History Farm for the Spring 2018 Old Florida Seed and Story Swap Saturday, March 3, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., presented by the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department in partnership with Working Food.

On Thursday, March 1, the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, in cooperation with the Gainesville Cultural Affairs Board, the Gainesville Art in Public Places Trust, the Nature Centers Commission, the Tree Advisory Board and the Public Recreation and Parks Board, will present the Arts Awards, the Public Art Award, the Star Awards, the “Friends of our Urban Forest” Lifetime Achievement Award and the Albert “Ray” Massey Citizen Volunteer Award. They will be presented at the Citizen Awards reception for citizens who made outstanding efforts to promote cultural and arts activities, environmental awareness and recreational activities in 2017.

The Thomas Center Associates are pleased to present the first “Swing Into Spring” in the Spanish Court at the Historic Thomas Center Friday, March 2 from 7-10 p.m.

The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department (PRCA) invites residents to give feedback on conceptual designs for the Clarence R. Kelly Community Center (Blue Center), located at 1701 NE Eighth Ave., and Duval Park, located at 520 NE 21st St. Please join us to share your feedback Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 4-6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Duval Early Learning Academy, which is located at 2106 NE Eighth Ave. Light refreshments will be served.

Calling all golfers! The Gainesville Arts & Parks Foundation (GAP) is looking for people who love the links and want to help local youth succeed.

Professional contractors working for GRU will be using an airboat and hand crews to treat aquatic weeds at Sweetwater Wetlands Park, located at 325 S.W. Williston Road, during the week of February 12. Targeting these weeds is important to the functioning of the wetland. The herbicide treatment will also help prevent the spread of invasive species from Sweetwater Wetlands Park to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. We apologize for the noise, and for any inconvenience this may cause. The park will be open as scheduled. If you have any questions, please speak to the ranger on duty; contact information is posted at the entry pavilion.

Beginning in October of 2017, community youth service providers from across Alachua County came together for a Youth Services Summit initiated by the City of Gainesville Mayor and City Commission and led by the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department. The request of the Mayor and City Commission was to collect information on services available to students in Gainesville during after school hours, identify gaps where students were underserved and collaborate on recommendations to close these gaps in programming. Attendees of the Youth Summit sessions included a variety of service providers, community leaders and organizational leaders from groups with interests in education, after-school programming, health, wellness and commerce. Read/Download the Report