What’s New in Parks and Rec

While events have been postponed and canceled since March, the staff of the Woodstock Parks and Recreation Department has been working to revive our favorite events, and create new ones, under new social distancing guidelines.

“The Woodstock Parks and Recreation Department is very excited to be reintroducing activities to keep our community social, active and safe. Our staff is being very creative in offering new and modified programs for the community, and has been very busy making small upgrades and improvements throughout our park and trail system,” said Michael Huffstetler, director of the department.

“The year 2020 has brought a lot of change,” he said. “In addition to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the department has had some retirements, new positions created, and is in the beginning stages of preparing a master plan for the next five years. We all are very excited for everything that the future holds for the city of Woodstock and the role parks and recreation will play in that. Our staff is focused, re-energized, and excited to formalize partnerships, work with community members, and continue to make Woodstock a great place to live, work, and most importantly, play.”

Upgrades & Improvements

What’s Completed
• A shade structure was built at Woodstock’s community garden
• The downtown playground is completed, minus some ongoing landscaping improvements.
• The Little River Master Plan is nearing completion.
• The Safe Kids Life Jacket Loaner Program was installed at Olde Rope Mill Park.
• New trash and recycle bins and dog waste stations were installed in city parks.
• Automated external defibrillators were installed at Woofstock Dog Park and Trailhead, and two AEDs were installed at Olde Rope Mill Park.
• A community task force feasibility study was started for restoring the clock in The Park at City Center.

What’s Next?
• Skill feature upgrades to the family mountain bike at Dupree Park will be installed in October. Huffstetler said there will be three additions, along with instructional signage for each piece, cleaned-up trail sections to bypass the elements, and potential scouting projects to enhance the trails.
• The Noonday Creek Trash Study is ongoing through February. The study, conducted by the Lake Allatoona Association and the Woodstock Parks and Recreation Department, began when a trash collection containment boom (trash trap) was placed in Noonday Creek last month. Over the next six months, an examination of the trash volume and contents will take place, in order to determine the best methods required to capture and remove trash from this and other tributaries before it enters into Allatoona Lake.

Mark Your Calendars

Current
• Adopt-A-Trail – email adopt-a-trail@woodstockga.gov. Partnering with Leave No Trace.
• AMPED in the Park. Oct. 3, Nov. 14 at the Northside Cherokee Amphitheater. AMPED in the Park is a free monthly fitness series. All workouts are fitness friendly (meaning you don’t have to be super fit to participate).
• 50+ Line Dancing. Meets 9-10:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays outdoors at the Northside Cherokee Amphitheater
• 50+ Walking Club. Meets 8 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Currently meeting at Dupree Park, but locations will change.
• 50+ Master Disc Golf. 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays at Dupree Park. Course can be completed in less than an hour.

Upcoming
• Tis the Season to Be Green, a recycling and paper shredding event. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 7 at Woodstock Elementary School.
• Letters to Santa. Beginning in December, kids can drop their letter to the Big Guy at the North Pole in the mailbox in the gazebo of the Park at City Center.
• Watch for announcements of senior center events, including pickleball open play, leagues and tournaments; lunch and learn; local “meet us there” trips; fitness in the park, and Woodstock Senior Runners powered by Foothills Running Club.