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Welcome to the first edition of the Parks, Recreation & Culture monthly newsletter!
Think of this as your monthly connection to all things PRC. We’ll celebrate what we’ve accomplished, share what’s coming next and, most importantly, keep finding new ways to connect you with the people, places and opportunities that make Lawrence a great place to live, work and play. We’re excited to have you along for the ride.
In This Edition:
- A Message From the Director
- Employees of the Quarter
- Recreation Membership
- Program Highlights
- Upcoming Events
- Calendar
- Departments News
- Parks News
- Arts and Culture
- Q&A
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Hello friends,
As we step into the fall season here in Lawrence, I'm excited to welcome you to the first edition of our Parks, Recreation and Culture newsletter. Our parks, trails, recreation programs, culture, events, and community spaces play a special role in connecting us, supporting our well‑being, and creating a sense of belonging. We also recognized that more department communication is needed. This newsletter is meant to celebrate our wins with you and share updates, highlight accomplishments, and give you a look at what’s ahead.
Our team has been hard at work improving facilities, expanding programs, and finding new ways to bring people together. Whether it’s restoring natural areas, offering fresh activities at our recreation centers, or creating memorable events for families, we’re committed to making every space in our system accessible, welcoming, and vibrant.
Thank you for your support, your participation, and the care you show for our shared spaces. We look forward to seeing you in the parks, on the trails, and at upcoming events.
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Lindsay Hart
Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture
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The Employee Recognition Committee launched the Employee of the Quarter nomination program in June 2025. All staff are encouraged to nominate one another. There are nomination sheets left in common spaces around facilities and a nomination form online. The Committee awards shout-outs and a $5 gift to each person nominated and selects one full-time and one part-time staff member to receive the Employee of the Quarter belt.
Full-Time Employees: Becky Childers and Lisa Hughes
"Lisa and Becky have not only maintained the aquatics program while short-staffed, they have also expanded programs (two new classes) and worked hard to hire enough summer staff to open as planned on May 25. Then they found a way to offer the indoor pool when the outdoor opening was delayed by construction. This ensured their staff were able to work and swimmers had an option. Each obstacle has been unexpected and out of their control, but they have rallied."
~ Gayle Sigurdson, Nominator
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Part-Time Employee: Katie Ellena
"Katie is an incredibly reliable team member who consistently goes above and beyond to ensure everything gets done. She takes ownership of her responsibilities, stays organized, and can always be counted on to handle whatever comes her way. Her willingness to step in, solve problems, and keep things running smoothly while I am at camp makes a positive impact on both the team and the people we serve. Katie's dedication, dependability, and strong work ethic do not go unnoticed, and I truly appreciate everything she does."
~ Madison Husbenet, Nominator
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Looking for the right Parks, Recreation and Culture membership for you and the family?
Explore membership rates, eligibility, facility access and benefits, plus information about day passes, membership cards, and Qualified Access Memberships on our website. You'll also find answers to common membership questions in our FAQ's. If you need assistance, please reach out. We're committed to helping you find the option that best fits your recreation needs.
You can find more information at https://lawrenceks.gov/prc/membership/
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Fall Programs begin September 13, 2026
There is something for everyone! Parks, Recreation and Culture staff have created activities providing the best opportunity to stay active and affect your life in a healthy way. It is our commitment to help you pursue living a healthy, active lifestyle Here’s to good health for all!
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9/04-12/25 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | SPL | $5 | activity code: 416030
9/12-10/3 | 12-12:45 p.m. | LIAC | $38 | activity code: 412116
9/14-10/5 and 10/19-11/9 | 6-6:45 p.m. | PKSBK | $65 | activity code: 414044
9/14-12/07 | 6:15-7:15 p.m. | SPL | $63 | activity code: 415017
9/14-12/09 | 6:15-7:15 p.m. | ELRC | $114 | activity code: 415019
9/15-12/10 | 6-6:30 p.m. | HPRC | $114 | activity code: 415007
9/15-10/20 | 10 - 11 a.m. | PPNC | $50 | activity code: 423202
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Sat. | 9/19-1/9 | 9:30-10 a.m. | ELRC | $5 | activity code: 433002
10/6–12/1 | 6:20-7:10 p.m. | CB | $76 | activity code: 428005
10/10 | 12-5 p.m. | HPRC | $115 | activity code: 421200
Registration deadline: 9/25
12/13 | 1-6 p.m. | HPRC | $126 | activity code: 727431
10/11 & 10/18 |1-3:30 p.m. | CB | $44 | activity code: 427331
T & F | Sept-Oct | SPL | $75 | activity code: 418000
M, W, F, & S | Sept-Dec | SPL | $5
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Autumn Harvest Festival, Sunday, October 4, 2026, South Park from 11am-5pm |
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Holiday Extravaganza, Sports Pavilion Lawrence, Sat., Dec. 5 from 9am-4pm |
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Bobcat Grand Welcoming, Friday, September 18 @ PPNC from 3-4 p.m. |
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Walk the Loop, Thursdays in Oct. at 5:30 p.m. (10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22) |
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 Lindsay Hart Appointed Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture
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Majed Al-Ghafry, City of Lawrence City Manager, has appointed Lindsay Hart as the permanent Director of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department, recognizing more than two decades of municipal parks and recreation leadership and her proven commitment to serving the Lawrence community.
Hart has served as the department’s interim director during two critical periods, first from December 2023 through May 2024 and again since October 2025. Throughout those leadership transitions, she guided the department through significant operational, staffing, and budget initiatives while maintaining continuity of services and supporting employees through periods of change.
Join us in congratulating Lindsay!
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 Get to know our Fitness Instructors!
Meet the people behind PRC’s fitness programs!
In this video, instructors Leon Beckem, Carol Rubino, and Jake Fisher share their passion for helping Lawrence stay active, healthy, and connected. Want to meet them in person?
Join us for upcoming free fitness demos, including Zumba, Balance Zone, Strength Endurance, Power 30 Pilates, Core n’ Strength Surge, Strength in 30 and Vinyasa Yoga.
No pre-registration is required; just bring your own mat.
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 Algerian National Team signs Ping Pong Table
A Ping Pong table from East Lawrence Recreation Center had an unexpected adventure with the Algerian National Soccer Team during the World Cup!
After the team played on and signed the table, it returned to ELRC and is now proudly displayed alongside the paddles they used—a unique piece of World Cup history and a fun reminder of Lawrence’s role in welcoming the world.
There are two Tiktok videos to check out: The first video shows the team using the table (:44), the second video shows the team signing it (:20).
Read more
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Walk the Loop
5:30 p.m. Thursdays, Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22.
Enjoy the cooler October weather and explore the Lawrence Loop with us! Join us each week for a new 1–3-mile trail segment. Walk at your own pace—there’s no finish line or registration required. This free, all-ages event is a great way to get outside and connect with your community.
October 1 – Starts at Sports Pavilion Lawrence 100, Rock Chalk Ln.
October 8 – Starts at Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA), 3312 Calvin Dr.
October 15 – Starts at Burroughs Creek Trail and Linear Park (on 15th St), 900 E 15th St.
October 22 – Starts at Baker Wetlands Discovery Center Parking Lot, 1365 N 1250 Rd.
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Join us for the Autumn Harvest Festival
Celebrate the harvest season on Sunday, October 4, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. in South Park. This is our only outdoor show of the year. The show will showcase handcrafted goods from local artisans, including jewelry, paintings, textiles, pottery, home décor, and more from talented community entrepreneurs.
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Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration
Save the date for a celebration of 25 years of the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Sunday, October 11. From 1-5 p.m., visit the IAC for refreshments and enjoy entrance fees from the year it opened: 2001!
Located at 4706 Overland Drive, Lawrence’s Indoor Aquatic Center is a $9 million facility featuring a 10-lane, 50-meter competition pool and a family pool with zero-depth entry, a water slide, and interactive play features.
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Sports Pavilion Maintenance September 1-24
Please plan ahead for upcoming facility maintenance.
Aug. 31–Sept. 11: All upstairs restrooms, including the Wellness Area shower rooms, will be unavailable for floor maintenance. Lower-level restrooms will remain open.
Sept. 14–23: The entire turf area will be closed while walls are repainted.Thank you for your patience as we complete these improvements!
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Help shape the future of Lawrence
What should Lawrence look like in 2030? Community Listeners have been out and about all summer, giving Lawrencians the opportunity to help shape the City’s priorities, commitments, and measures for years to come.
Take a few minutes to share your voice by taking the Vision 2030 Community Survey. Then encourage your neighbors, friends, and family to participate, too.
We invite you to follow along. See how the process is unfolding and what happens next at Engage Lawrence.
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IAC will be Closing Early for LFSHS Home Football Games
The Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center will close early from 1–7:30 p.m. on select Fridays for Lawrence Free State High School home football games:
- Sept. 18
- Sept. 25
- Oct. 2
- Oct. 16
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What book to read in each park
Lawrence Parks, Recreation and Culture and the Lawrence Public Library have teamed up for What Book to Read in Each Park, a social media series connecting Lawrence’s parks with themed book recommendations. Each Friday, we feature a different park and a curated selection of children’s literature, youth fiction, adult fiction, and adult nonfiction inspired by the park’s history, features, or activities. Follow along on social media each week to discover a new park, explore books that connect to its story, and test your knowledge by guessing the theme. Whether you’re looking for your next great read or a new park to explore, there’s something for everyone.
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The Perfect Space for Your Next Event
Planning a birthday, family reunion, graduation, wedding reception, or other gathering? Lawrence Parks, Recreation and Culture offers rental spaces throughout the community to help make your event happen. From recreation centers and the Indoor Aquatic Center to the Carnegie Building and Union Pacific Depot, there are spaces for gatherings of all kinds. Call (785) 832-7920 to learn more.
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 Meet our newest Animal Ambassador: Bobcat!
Our newest Bobcat Ambassador comes from a USDA facility that breeds bobcats for educational purposes. He will live at the Nature Center his whole life as an ambassador animal for the public.
At the Nature Center, he will teach the public about the carnivores of Kansas. Bobcats are part of the Cat Family (Felidae), and in that family they are part of the Small Cats subfamily (Felinae).
The small cats are able to purr but cannot roar, (the Big Cats are able to roar but not purr).
Bobcats' scientific name is Lynx (meaning "light") rufus (meaning "red"). They live from southern Mexico all the way up to the forests of Canada.
Bobcats have adapted well to humans and are quite common in cities, even if we don't see them. They mostly hunt rabbits and rodents but will occasionally hunt birds or fish.
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 Monarch Tagging on the Prairie
Every fall, thousands of volunteers across North America become community scientists through the Monarch Watch Tagging Program, a long-running project that helps researchers better understand the monarch butterfly’s spectacular migration to Mexico. Volunteers safely capture, tag, and release monarchs while recording information about each butterfly, including its tag number, date, sex, and location. These data help researchers track migration patterns, learn more about monarch survival and discover where monarchs travel from as they make their journey south.
You can take part in this community science effort right here in Lawrence! Join us for a free monarch tagging event in the native prairie at Prairie Park on September 26 from 9-11 a.m. It’s a great opportunity to get outdoors, learn more about these remarkable pollinators, and contribute to research that helps us better understand and protect monarchs.
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Bobcat Grand Welcoming Event: September 18, 2026
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Join us for the Grand Welcoming at the Nature Center on Friday, September 18, from 3-5 pm.
The event will start with a presentation on the different cats of the Americas, then we'll vote on his name.
After that guests will be able to purchase a picture with the him for $10.
He will be about 12 weeks old and ready to meet you!
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 Beauty You Might Be Driving Right Past
Next time you’re driving around Lawrence, take a look at the landscapes you pass along the way. Our Horticulture and Parks crews care for 35 roundabouts, traffic circles, and landscaped medians throughout the city. These “drive-by” landscapes add color and beauty to our community—and a lot of care goes into keeping them looking their best.
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 Mutt Run Off Leash Dog Park is peak summer!
A big thank-you to everyone who spent part of their summer at Mutt Run Off-Leash Dog Park! From morning walks to muddy paws, happy dogs and new four-legged friends, we loved seeing the park full of activity. We hope you and your pups made plenty of memories and enjoyed all that this special Lawrence park has to offer. We’ll see you out there!
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Turf Talk: From the Parks Division
September and October are ideal months to strengthen cool season turfgrass in Lawrence. Fertilize around Labor Day, core aerate compacted areas and overseed thin or damaged turf. Maintain proper mowing heights and avoid removing more than one-third of the leaf blade at a time. As temperatures cool, reduce irrigation frequency while watering deeply when needed. Fall is also an excellent time to control broadleaf weeds before winter. Healthy roots this fall mean stronger, thicker turf next spring.
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Note from Eagle Bend Golf Course
Fall is one of the best times to play Eagle Bend Golf Course. Enjoy cooler temperatures, beautiful fall colors, excellent course conditions, and a more relaxed pace. Whether you’re playing a casual round, practicing your game, or participating in a tournament, Eagle Bend offers a great golf experience for players of all skill levels. Come enjoy the season, take in the scenery, and make your next round at Eagle Bend!
Schedule a Tee Time online.
Fall Tournament Schedule
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September 30 – LHS Girls Invitational
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October 2 – Lawrence Home Builders Association Tournament
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October 12–13 – Ottawa University Tournament
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October 16 – Eudora School Foundation Tournament
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October 22–23 – Kansas Cup Final
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A Smarter Way to Use Water: New Pump Station
Have you noticed the small building near the Park District #1 shop on 27th Street? It’s a new pump station connected to the raw water line from Clinton Lake. As part of a multi-year CIP project, the City began using raw water this spring to irrigate Eagle Bend Golf Course, the Youth Sports Complex, Clinton Lake Softball Complex and the Arboretum. This change will significantly reduce water costs for our parks and golf course. While we won’t know the full annual savings until the system has been in operation for a year, we anticipate saving more than $100,000 annually!
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Updated Cemetery Rules & Regulations
Lawrence’s three City cemeteries are places to remember, reflect and honor more than 39,000 individuals. This summer, the Cemetery Division has updated the Rules and Regulations for Oak Hill, Memorial Park and Maple Grove cemeteries. The guidelines cover burial spaces, memorials, decorations, cemetery operations, and more, helping to preserve the beauty, dignity, and history of these community spaces. Residents, funeral homes and monument companies are encouraged to review the updated regulations on the City’s cemetery website. |
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 Community Arts Grants
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 Phoenix Awards
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 Unmistakable Public Art Exhibition
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Transit team partners with local filmmaker to premiere a short film
Join the City of Lawrence, Lawrence Transit, Explore Lawrence, and Lawrence Arts Center for a free preview screening of The Name for Blue on Sept. 19. at 6 p.m. at the Lawrence Arts Center. The short film follows Lawrence bus driver Eddy Martinez and his tradition of learning riders’ names. Enjoy live poetry, bus stop artwork, a filmmaker Q&A, refreshments, and downtown loop bus rides.
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Phoenix Awards: Call for Nominations
Nominations are open for the 26th annual Phoenix Awards, celebrating outstanding artistic achievement in Lawrence! Since 1996, the awards have recognized more than 161 individuals and organizations who contribute to our community’s vibrant arts scene.
Nominations are open across 10 categories, including music, visual arts, literary, performing arts, arts education and more. Know an artist, educator, volunteer, or organization making a difference?
Sumbit your nominations by 10 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5!
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Artist Selected to Create 2026 Phoenix Awards
Lawrence artist and sculptor Mara Strayer has been selected to design and create the 2026 Phoenix Awards, honoring outstanding contributions to Lawrence’s arts community. Strayer’s work draws inspiration from Midwestern landscapes, nature, and industrial materials. Her proposed award features a bold, geometric interpretation of Kansas wheat in rusted steel. Strayer previously participated in the City’s Unmistakable Public Art Exhibition, making her selection a natural continuation of her public art journey.
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Real-time answers to your questions.
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Q: When will splash pads close for the season?
A: There isn't usually an exact date set for splash pad closures for the season.
We commit to keeping them open through the first week of October, and after that, it becomes weather-dependent. For context, we closed splash pads on October 13 in 2025.
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Q: Can I purchase a swim pass online yet?
A: Yes! Swim passes can now be purchased online through RecTrac. Just log in to your account and navigate to the Membership (Passes) section, or search for “Memberships (Passes).” If you already have a pass, you’ll see an option to renew it. Check out this walkthrough video. You can also browse the full list of available aquatic and recreation memberships and select the pass that works best for you.
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Q: Is Lawrence getting a skating rink?
A: We've heard from community members who would love to see a skating rink in Lawrence, and we appreciate everyone who has taken the time to share their ideas and enthusiasm.
At this time, we do not have plans to develop or operate a skating rink. While we've explored the possibility in the past, it isn't included in our current master plan or Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
Based on our evaluation, the anticipated costs to lease and operate a facility would be more than could reasonably be covered through admission fees and other revenue.
We know recreation interests continue to evolve, and we value hearing what matters most to our community.
Thank you for sharing your feedback and helping shape conversations about the future of parks and recreation in Lawrence.
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Q: What was all of the mowing at Prairie Park about?
A: This season, Native Lands Restoration Collaborative collaborated with PRC on the management of the invasive species sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) within the grasslands of Prairie Park. The team carefully applied herbicide to the invasive plants while protecting sensitive native species in the process.
Unfortunately, sericea lespedeza had to be managed with herbicide and mowing, as soil disturbance and smothering would have caused long-term damage to the remnant prairie.
The Native Lands team took every precaution to ensure the appropriate herbicide was applied thoughtfully and that their staff, park visitors, and the native landscapes they collectively cared for were respected throughout the process.
Questions could be directed to the Native Lands team at NativeLandsKS@gmail.com. To learn more about sericea lespedeza, visit the State Noxious Weed website.
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Q: Will the Lawrence Loop get more sections this year?
A: Yes! More sections of the Lawrence Loop are coming soon. Lawrence was awarded $1.227 million in federal Transportation Alternatives funding through the Kansas Department of Transportation to support the downtown section of the Lawrence Loop.
The Lawrence Loop is a series of connected trails that, when complete, will create a continuous path of more than 22 miles around the city. This new funding will help advance the Loop’s development and improve connections for people who walk, bike, and roll.
The next statewide Transportation Alternatives funding opportunity is expected to open in spring 2028, providing another potential opportunity for future Loop improvements.
Check out the LJWorld article for more information.
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Have questions for us? Send us a note at parksrec@lawrenceks.gov |
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Who receives this newsletter?
The list for this newsletter consists of current active members of our RecTrac database and those from the last three years. It also includes current membership holders. The only exceptions are those who have notified us they do not want to receive promotional communications. Also included are Parks, Recreation and Culture staff, PRC Advisory Board members, and City Commissioners.
Thanks for staying connected with Lawrence Parks, Recreation & Culture! We’re proud to share the people, programs, parks and projects that help make Lawrence a great place to live, work and play. Follow us on social media to stay in the know about all things PRC.
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