Call for Downtown Parade of Lights Entries!

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department announces that entries are now being accepted for the 2023 Athens-Clarke County Downtown Parade of Lights. This year’s parade is scheduled for Thursday, December 7. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Late applications are not accepted.

The online application is available at www.accgov.com/parade The parade application fee is $40.

Annually, more than 60 entries compete for such prizes as “Most Original Float,” “Best Use of Theme, “ and “Best Use of Lights” and the best overall float receiving the “Mayor’s Award.” This year’s theme is “An Art Filled Holiday.” The Parade Marshal is local iconic artist Harold Rittenberry, Jr., known for his metal sculptures installed around Athens.

The parade begins on the corner of Hancock Avenue and Pulaski Street ending in front of City Hall for the traditional Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.

The Athens-Clarke County Downtown Parade of Lights is sponsored by the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government and the Athens Downtown Development Authority.

Parade information and application forms can be found at
www.accgov.com/parade or by contacting Leisure Services at 706-613-3800 or paradeoflights@accgov.com

"Rivers Alive"

Set for October 21

Get your hands dirty and feet wet during the annual Rivers Alive clean-up on October 21. Join hundreds of Athenians as we remove litter from our streams, creeks, and rivers.

Athens area residents wade into local rivers, lakes and streams as part of the continuing statewide campaign to clean and preserve over 70,000 miles of Georgia’s rivers and streams. The effort is part of Rivers Alive, a joint program of the Environmental Protection Division Outreach Education Programs and the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. The annual Georgia Waterway Cleanup is the largest single volunteer effort to beautify Georgia’s water resources.

Rivers Alive in Athens is organized by Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful, ACC Solid Waste, ACC Transportation and Public Works/Stormwater Division, ACC Leisure Services, ACC Public Utilities/Water Conservation Office, Keep Oconee County Beautiful, Upper Oconee Watershed Network (UOWN), UGA Office of Service Learning.

A Scary Good Time!

The Leisure Services Department will host a selection of Halloween events throughout the community at various parks and facilities including:

Pumpkin Hunt at Lay Park (October 6)
Scary, Oozy, Slimy Day at Sandy Creek Nature Center (October 13)
Walk through Boo at Lay Park (October 20)
Bear Holloween at Bear Hollow Zoo (October 20)
Fright on the Firefly Trail Halloween Trick or Treat Trail (October 20)
Movies by Moonlight Halloween Movie Event featuring the original "Ghostbusters"
at Walker Park (October 26)
Jack-o-Lantern Jog and Goblin Fun Run (October 29)

Complete information including descriptions, fees and times, are available at www.accgov.com/halloween.

For more information, call 706-613-3800 or visit www.accgov.com/halloween

School's Out!

When the Clarke County School District is out of session, the Leisure Services Department is in!

A variety of day off school programs and holiday mini camps are available this fall.

Online registration is underway.

For more information, please call 706-613-3800.

Bike Repair Stations

Throughout Athens-Clarke County, one can find more than 15 free bike repair stations available for use. These repair stations include a frame to hold the bike, many useful tools, and an air pump. These repair stations are available to help bicyclists make minor repairs to their bike in the field.

The repair stations can be found along the Department's paved trail system, in Boulevard Woods, Dudley, and Walker Parks, as well at Sandy Creek Nature Center. Other sites include the University of Georgia campus, as well at several local businesses.

Near the top of each bike repair station there is a QR code. It can be scanned to open quick guides to basic bike repairs.

Call for Poet Laureate Applicants

thens-Clarke County (ACCGov) is seeking applicants for a Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate program is administered by the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Arts Division. Application deadline is Friday, November 10, 2023 at 5:00 PM EST.

ACCGov views the Poet Laureate position as a means to further enhance the profile of poets, poetry, and literary arts in our community and beyond. The Poet Laureate is expected to bring poetry to segments of our community that have less access or exposure to poetry: seniors, youth, schools and more.

The Poet Laureate will be a creative person with the demonstrated ability to enact their vision. The Poet Laureate will make several guest appearances during the term, promoting poetry throughout the community.

Full application form, details and additional resources are available at www.accgov.com/acac

Please email any questions to ACC Public Art Coordinator, Tatiana Veneruso at tatiana.veneruso@accgov.com

Get Your Tickets!

Athens Creative Theatre (ACT) presents “Sweeney Todd” at the Morton Theatre

An infamous tale, “Sweeney Todd,” an unjustly exiled barber, returns to nineteenth century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which, he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up... and the carnage has only just begun.

The performance takes place at the Morton Theatre in downtown Athens on Thursday, November 16 -Sunday, November 19. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. Sunday’s show is at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets are now on sale online at www.mortontheatre.com or at the Morton Theatre Box Office, Monday-Friday from 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. Call 706-613-3771 to reach the box office. Tickets are
$15 (Reserved Seating), $10 (Groups of 10+ for a single performance).

ACCGov Leisure Services Online Registration

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department offers a diverse selection of activities highlighting the arts, environmental science, recreation, sports,
and holiday events for adults and children.

All registration takes place online at www.accgov.com/myrec .

ACCGov Leisure Services Scholarships

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department offers scholarship to qualifying Athens-Clarke County children.

Scholarships allow participants to pay less than the program fee.

For more information, including required documentation,
please visit www.accgov.com/scholarships

Georgia Recreation and Park Association

Agency of the Year

Populations: 80,000 - 150,000

2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2019, 2021

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department

205 Old Commerce Road, Athens, GA 30607

www.accgov.com/leisure

706-613-3800