Congratulations!

Nena Gilreath, East Athens Educational Dance Center Program Supervisor, was recently honored by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp with a Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities.

These awards recognize and honor individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the civic or cultural vitality of the state.

She is a former Dance Theatre of Harlem and Atlanta Ballet dancer, who was honored for her work in establishing the Ballethnic Dance Company which is a classically trained, culturally diverse arts organization providing training and performance opportunities to professional and pre-professional dancers, children, and emerging artists. Ballethnic Dance has distinguished itself from other professional ballet companies by its unique and authentic praxis of blending ballet with African dance concepts.

In 2017, Nena joined the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department as the East Athens Educational Dance Center Program Supervisor. The Dance Center provides a variety of dance programs, dance education, and summer camps for children, teens, and adults. Each year an annual production is presented at the historic Morton Theatre.

The Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities honor outstanding individuals and organizations who have significantly contributed to Georgia’s civic and cultural vitality through excellence and service to the arts and humanities. Presented by the Office of the Governor in partnership with the Georgia Council for the Arts and Georgia Humanities, the Governor’s Awards recognize the value of the arts and humanities in creating a thriving economy and their contributions to education, innovation, growth, and quality of life. The Governor’s Awards pay tribute to the most distinguished citizens and organizations that have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the arts.

Downtown Parade of Lights Video Now Available

A video of the 2023 Downtown Parade of Lights is broadcasting daily on ACTV, the Athens-Clarke County government access television channel, every four hours at 8:00 AM, noon, 4:00 PM, 8:00 PM, midnight, and 4:00 AM, except when pre-empted by broadcasts or rebroadcasts of Mayor and Commission meetings. The parade video will air through January 1 and runs approximately an hour and 10 minutes.

The parade video is also available online for on-demand viewing, along with past parade videos, through the Athens-Clarke County website at www.accgov.com/parade or www.accgov.com/videos and the official Athens-Clarke County YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/accgov or through the YouTube app.

Residents with a Roku streaming video device can also watch the 2023 parade video and 20 years of past parade videos on the ACCGov Roku channel. Viewers can search for 'accgov' in the Roku streaming store and add the channel to their device.

The parade originally took place on Thursday, December 7, 2023. The Downtown Parade of Lights is presented by the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) and the Athens Downtown Development Authority. It is coordinated by the ACC Leisure Services Department with assistance from the ACC Central Services, Fire, and Police Departments. This year's community Christmas tree was donated by Greg and Cindy Wilborn. The 2023 Downtown Parade of Lights Parade Marshall was local artist Harold Rittenberry, Jr.

Theatre Class for Kids

Theatre activities and classes are centered around fostering the skills of developing performing artists of all ages and skill levels in the theatrical arts.

Athens Creative Theatre presents "ACTing 101 - Time Machine." An introduction to theatre course and brief introduction to theatre history exploring the basics of dramatization, improvisation, and acting fundamentals.

This program is for ages 8 - 12 years and takes place Fridays, January 19 - February 9 from 4:30 - 5:30 PM at Quinn Hall at Memorial Park.

The fee is $83 for ACC residents and $125 for non-residents. Online registration is required.

For more information, please call 706-613-3628.

Holiday Hours

The Leisure Services Department facilities and Sandy Creek Park will be closed on Monday, January 1. All remaining parks will operate under reduced hours from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. All parks and facilities will resume regular hours of operation Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

For more information, please call 706-613-3800

Homeschool Series at

Sandy Creek Nature Center

Learn more about Georgia’s symbols by diving into animals and plants that represent Georgia through Sandy Creek Nature Center's "Homeschool Series"

Participants will learn about native animals, as well as native and non-native plant symbols of the Peach State.

The program takes place Fridays, January 12 and February 2 from 10:00 AM - noon. The fee is $4 per class for ACC residents and $6 per class for non-residents. Pre-registration is required one day in advance.

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, 2023

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department

205 Old Commerce Road, Athens, GA 30607

www.accgov.com/leisure

706-613-3800