Wilson is known for its great parks -- the world-famous Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park; the beautiful Lake Wilson with its wooden pedestrian bridge; the boating and fishing fun of Buckhorn Reservoir; Gillette Athletic Complex, home to so many baseball, soccer and soon pickleball and tennis tournaments; Greater Wilson Rotary Park (pictured above)  the "new" Wiggins Mill Park that might be the biggest draw of all ... we could go on and on.

Yet, none of it would be as great without our tremendous parks and recreation staff, led by Director David Lee. Our coworkers/friends at Wilson Parks and Recreation are extremely busy with summer camps, with preparing for two major baseball tournaments later this month, the Year of the Trail, with major projects underway or in the planning stages, with running two pools, a public golf course, so many facilities, that they don't have time to brag on themselves.

So, for July, National Parks & Recreation Month, we thought it might be nice to take a look at all things Parks and Recreation-related.

Miracle Field will open this fall

More children will soon be able to enjoy the crack of the bat, the thrill of a base hit or even the pleasure of coming home. The Miracle Field at J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex will be opening for play this fall.

The specially-designed baseball field will be equipped to give children with intellectual and/or physical disabilities the same ability to play baseball that Little Leaguers have been enjoying for years. The field is located near Wilson's All-Children's Playground, which was also a landmark inclusive recreational facility in our city. 

The project was mainly funded by donations. Several sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please contact the Parks and Recreation Administration office at 252-399-2261 to make a donation at the level of MVP, Founder, Hall of Fame, or Legend. 

Funding in place for city's first splash pad

An All-Children’s Splash Pad , the city's first splash pad, will soon be added near the All-Children's Playground at Gillette Athletic Complex. The city received a $400,000 Accessibility For Parks grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority through a competitive grant process. The splash pad will include water elements for children, including special features for children with physical or intellectual disabilities. No timeline has yet been set for construction.

Reid Street Center getting upgrades

The city recently announced nearly $1.9 million in exciting upgrades to Reid Street Community Center with work beginning this year and due to be completed by 2025. Most of the funding is from federal grants.

Planned improvements include: 

• New walking path
• Two concrete basketball courts
• Picnic Shelter near basketball courts and ballfield at the rear of the property
• Both pools will receive new concrete decks
• Drainage issues near pools will be addressed
• Shelter added in the pool area for rentals and programming
• Update the streetscape along Reid Street
• Several road improvements for improved access 
• Add a playground in the back of the park and replace the existing playground

“These improvements will do the same thing for Reid Street as the improvements at Rotary Park did for the former Cavalier park. There’s a lot of pride in the community in this facility, and these improvements will ensure the community will get more use here," said David Lee, Parks and Recreation Director. 

Completion of the entire project is expected by Fall 2025, with minimal impact on pool season and summer programming. It's important to note that federal funding requirements and procedures could impact the project timeline.

Neighborhood parks get facelift

Fifteen neighborhood parks will be soon be upgraded, including new playground equipment, new landscaping and signage, and adding ADA accessibility. Some will add shelters and picnic tables.

The parks are Carolina Street Park; Five Points Park; Fleming Stadium playground; Freeman Park; Freeman Roundhouse Museum; Lamm Park; Lane Park; Pender Street Community Center Park; Vera Pope Resource Center; Warren Street Park; Washington Carver Heights Park; Weaver-Bailey Park; and Wedgewood Park Area. The timetable is being developed. 

Pickleball complex planned 

Plans are in the works for the largest pickleball complex in eastern North Carolina, which will be built  at Gillette Athletic Complex. The City Council approved the project in February 2022, and work should begin this year. 

The facility will include six uncovered pickleball courts, eight covered courts including two championship courts for tournament play, six tennis courts, and six multi-use courts that can be used for tennis or pickleball. 

Also included in the facility is a croquet lawn, and shuffleboard and bocce ball courts, which will be moved from the current location near the All-Children’s Playground. These amenities are needed to attract Senior Games play.

The new complex will include a covered shelter, a small building to house concessions and an office and restrooms. A half-mile walking trail will encircle the courts. The facility will be located near the baseball fields.

The $4.2 million facility is funded by the Wilson County Tourism Development Authority and is meant to host tournaments the way Gillette currently brings in national and regional soccer and baseball events. It will also be used extensively by the community.

Wiggins Mill to be premiere park

Wiggins Mill is being developed into a premier
regional park with expansive walking trails, a
sunflower field, shelters, and restroom facilities, to
go along with the boat launch. Plans were announced
in October 2022 and much of the work will be done
in 2023. Renovation plans include additional walking trails, a paved road, a playground, bathrooms, and a picnic shelter.

Get ready to show off your artistic skills in the Stepping Stone Art Contest! In celebration of the 2023 Year of the Trail, Wilson Parks and Recreation is hosting this exciting competition. From July 31 to August 4, 2023, you can submit your masterpiece at the Recreation Park Center between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Don't worry if you can't make it in person, you can also register online at wilsonnc.org/webtrac.

Let your imagination run wild as you create a stepping stone that represents one of these themes: the 2023 “Year of the Trail”, your favorite Parks & Recreation activity or park, or in honor or memory of a special person.

What's even more thrilling is that the winners will be decided by social media votes! So make sure to gather all your friends and family to support your artwork. Select stepping stones will be apart of the Stepping Stone Garden at Lake Wilson. 

To find out more about the contest rules and resources, use the button below, and get ready to make your mark with the Stepping Stone Art Contest!

Wilson will be hosting Little League baseball teams, family members and coaches from eight states twice later this month for the Tournaments of State Champions.

These tournament match the best Little League teams from North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. These tournaments match teams that might play in a few years in the famous Little League World Series in Williamsport and broadcast on ESPN's networks.

The TOSC for 8-10 year-olds will have its opening ceremonies on Friday, July 21. Then all the teams will be in pool play July 22-24. The quarter and semi-finals will be Tuesday, July 25, and the championship game will be Wednesday, July 26.

Our staff then has an entire day before having to do it again. The 9-11 TOSC opens Friday, July 28; pool play will be July 29-31; the semifinals will be Tuesday, Aug. 1; and the championship game will be Wednesday, Aug. 2.

It's important for us to tell you about this for two reasons. First, these tournaments are a great place to see high-level, spirited baseball. And, second, our staff goes above and beyond in handling all the logistics of such a huge event and earned rave reviews. These teams bring their state spirit along with their baseball prowess, so be on the lookout for some Little League baseball swagger showing up in Wilson in a few weeks (who can forget the red mohawks the Virginia team was sporting last year?!)