The Athens-Clarke County
Leisure Services Department's

E-Newsletter

"World Oceans Day" at Sandy Creek Nature Center

The Leisure Services Department hosts “World Oceans Day” on Saturday, June 14 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Sandy Creek Nature Center.

This free, family program is presented by students from the University of Georgia’s Department of Marine Sciences. Attendees will have the opportunity touch tanks with marine animals, learn about microplastics, and enjoy crafts.

For more information, please call 706- 613-3615.

"Discovery Ride" Planned

If you have been hearing about how much fun it is to ride a bike on the Firefly Trail and North Oconee River Greenway, it’s time to discover what it is all about!

Pump up the tires on those family bikes and join Trails and Open Space staff on this the Firefly Discovery Ride set for Saturday, June 28 from 10:00 a.m. - noon. Learn about the history of the trails and future plans. See Athens from a new direction, and discover what a wonderful paved trail system you have here in the Classic City.

This free program is for ages eight and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Online registration is underway.

For more information, please call 706-613-3620..

"William Lee Martin:

The Funny Life Tour"

at the Morton Theatre

Get ready to laugh till your cheeks hurt! William Lee Martin delivers the kind of comedy that feels like hanging out with one of your funniest, most genuine friends. Raised in Texas, he performed under his lifelong nickname, "Cowboy Bill," for 20 years before returning to his real name in 2016. Every night, he takes real-life moments—marriage, parenting, and all the chaos in between—and turns them into hilarious, relatable stories.

This year, he’s hitting the road for his Funny Life Tour, an epic one-man show that proves life’s chaos is way funnier when you embrace it. This show is set for Friday, June 27 from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at the Morton Theatre. Tickets are now on sale and range from $20 to $45 each.

Life is funnier with William Lee Martin. Grab your tickets now and join the fun!.

.

Juneteenth Holiday Hours

The Leisure Services Department will observe the Juneteenth holiday on Thursday, June 19. Parks will operate under regular hours of operation, facilities will be closed. All facilities will reopen on Friday, June 20 under regular hours of operation.

In observance of this holiday, department summer camps will be not take place on Juneteenth.

Pools and splash pads will be open from 1:00 – 5:30 p.m. Admission is $1 per person.

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

"Controlled Burn" Exhibition on Display at Lyndon House Arts Center

The Lyndon House Arts Center presents the Summer Series of exhibitions including Controlled Burn by Tom Schram, on view through August 30, 2025.

The work in Schram’s exhibition primarily uses post-consumer materials in place of raw new materials. He sees these used materials as having come to the end of their human-intended functional lifecycle. As they cross his path, and before entombment in a landfill, he collects them. This strategy demands innovation and planning due to scarcity. Schram commits to using only the amount of a certain material that has serendipitously come into his life. This practice has fostered a long interest and investigation into a material’s history and various lives, most recently leading to a focus on how we, as a society, consume and what we waste, investigating the industrial processes that reshape natural resources into modern consumables, as well as the general perception of these consumables as carrying little to no cost.

All exhibitions at Lyndon House Arts Center are free of charge and open to the public. Exhibitions are on view during regular gallery hours Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, please call 706-613-3623.

"Star Spangled Classic"

Set for June 28

at Southeast Clarke Park

The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government welcomes the community to celebrate Independence Day at the Star Spangled Classic on Saturday, June 28 at Southeast Clarke Park at 4440 Lexington Road! Complete details and map are available at www.accgov.com/fireworks

Free activities, including carnival rides, face painting, inflatables, a photo booth, and more begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be set up on the Lexington Road fields. A special concert by the Funk Brotherhood will take place from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. A food truck court will be onsite with items for purchase. Fireworks will be launched at approximately 9:30 p.m. from near the Athens Tennis Center.

To accommodate parking at this event, a free shuttle will regularly circulate from Wal-Mart off of Lexington Road, Whit Davis Elementary School and the World-of-Wonder Playground parking lot. Parking at these locations is strongly encouraged allowing space at the park to be prioritized for people with accessibility needs. The Shuttle and parking locations will open at 5:30 p.m. All ACCGov park rules will be enforced including no alcohol, personal fireworks, grills, or smoking. Pets are not allowed at this event.

Event attendees must follow traffic laws and not park or use private property when choosing a viewing location and not park on the side of roads to view the fireworks. The park will close at the end of the show. No overnight parking allowed. Traffic patterns in the area will shift at the conclusion of the event.

The ACCGov Animal Services Department will offer their annual "Foster for the Fourth" program, again, this year. Apply to foster at www.accgov.com/animalservices

If severe weather is predicted in advance, the Star Spangled Classic will take place Friday, June 27.

This event is sponsored by The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government and presented by the Leisure Services Department.

For more information, please visit www.accgov.com/fireworks

Blooming along the Greenway...

Work continues on the 100-foot SPLOST-funded mural along the Greenway East Campus Connector. This art work is visible from the Athens Perimeter.

“Georgia Flora,” by local artist Amanda Burk, is expected to be completed later this month.

Burk’s design was selected from 25 applicants who responded to a nationwide call for proposals. The work features a variety of flowers quickly associated with Georgia.

This is the University of Georgia graduate's eighth mural in Athens.

Learn more about public art projects in Athens

.

Summer Camp

Registration Continues

2025 Summer Camp registration continues! Limited space is still available for children and teens.

Camp information is online at www.accgov.com/myrec

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

.

"Firefly ID" Class

at Sandy Creek

Nature Center

Don't miss this illuminating experience!

Sandy Creek Nature Center will host a magical evening to learn all about our amazing local firefly species.

In partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, attendees will head outside to observe these enchanting insects and uncover the secrets behind their mesmerizing flashing patterns.

This free program is set for Tuesday, June 24 from 8:30-10:30 p.m, Space is limited, so online registration is required.

For more information, please call 706-613-3615.

2025 Summer Camp Registration Continues

The Report Cards Rewards program celebrates ACC students with good grades.

In order to be eligible, any student, Kindergarten through 12th grade, who resides in Athens-Clarke County must take a copy of his/her final report card of the year or equivalent to the park office where a swimming pool is located.

A report card with all A's or all 4's guarantees a free summer pool pass. A report card with all A's and B's, or all 3's and 4's, is good for 10 free swims.

For more information, please call 706-613-3589.

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