Parks & Gardens August ENews

Parks & Gardens strives to maintain and operate parks and facilities that enrich the lives of the community and promote an overall healthier lifestyle.

New Inclusive Playground at Hugh MacRae Park is OPEN!
On July 20th, New Hanover County and Trillium Health Resources held a ceremony to open the new inclusive playground at Hugh MacRae Park!  If you missed it, you can click here to watch the video. The new playground has features for children ages 2-12 and is accessible to children of all abilities, including those in wheelchairs.  

One great feature of the new playground is the Liberty Swing (pictured above, right).  It functions in a similar way to a regular swing, but can safely accommodate a wheelchair. Use of the swing requires two keys that may be obtained free of charge from the parks and gardens office or from the lockbox attached to the access gate.  To request keys or the lockbox code, call the parks and gardens office at (910) 798-7620.  Click here for more information.  

Butterfly Releases at Airlie Gardens There are just three more butterfly releases for this season: Tuesdays, August 2, 9 & 16!  The releases start at 2pm in the Butterfly House with a short talk on the butterfly's life cycle. Then 10-15 newly-emerged butterflies are released.  These events are FREE for Airlie Members and with garden admission for all others.  Contact jeokeefe@nhcgov.com for more information.

New Ogden Park Walking Trail We are making progress on the new one mile walking trail at Ogden Park!  Soon, the Ogden community will have another opportunity to exercise while getting some fresh air! With the new trail's location around the athletic fields, parents can exercise while watching their kids play and practice on the fields!  Completion of the trail is expected in late August.  More Information

Airlie Summer Concert Series We've got a great line up for this month's Summer Concert Series!   -August 5th:  BLP (dance) -August 19th:  Bibis Ellison (Indie/Pop/Soul) Concerts are 6-8pm on each scheduled evening.  Free parking and trolley service is located at the Old Cinema 6 (5335 Oleander Dr).  Concert tickets are $9/adults, $2/children ages 4-12 and free for children under 4.  Concerts are always FREE for Airlie Members.  For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.airliegardens.org.

Oyster Roast Tickets are on sale now for Airlie Gardens' Annual Oyster Roast to be held on October 21st from 6-10pm!  Tickets are $85/person and include BBQ dinner from Middle of the Island, steamed oysters from Elijah's Restaurant and live entertainment by The Band of Oz.  Proceeds from this event benefit Airlie's environmental education programs.  Click here to purchase tickets.  Visit www.airliegardens.org for more info.

August Events

Every Tuesday through 8/16:
Butterfly Release at Airlie Gardens:  2pm (free with garden admission)

Every Wednesday:
Farmers' Market at Ogden Park:  8am-1pm
Volunteer Opportunity-  Park Beautification at Hugh MacRae Park  10am-12pm

Every Thursday:
Volunteer Opportunity- Grounds/Gardening at Airlie Gardens  9am-12pm

8/5          Summer Concert Series at Airlie Gardens:  6-8pm (free for Members/fee for all others)

8/7          NHC Residents FREE Day at Airlie Gardens:  9am-5pm 

8/10        Bird Hike at Airlie Gardens:  8-9:30am (free for members & with garden admission)

8/13        Wellness Walk at Smith Creek Park:  9-10am

8/19        Summer Concert Series at Airlie Gardens:  6-8pm (free for Members/fee for all others)