Destination Recreation
Wowza! It sure has been a busy week.We were amazed to have 1,888 come through the city gym in a little over an hour during the Boo in Bluffton on Halloween night. The FREE Virtual Costume Contest has started. Visit the Bluffton Parks Facebook page this week to vote for your favorite. Each like counts as a vote, and the photo with the most likes will receive a prize. Also, keep an eye out for Ralph, the Roaming Turkey, who has started appearing in the city parks; if your child finds his paper cutout, drop it off at the park office to claim their prize.
Today is our WOOF Trail Run at Ouabache State Park, starting at 9 a.m. If you visit the park, be on the lookout for runners. We are very excited to learn that next year’s WOOF race has been selected for the Fort Wayne Track Club point series in 2025. This is a great opportunity to attract visitors to our community and see Bluffton with its beautiful fall foliage.
FREE Open Gym for school-aged kids starts today, Saturday, Nov. 2. Feel free to drop off your kids to enjoy supervised gym time from 3:30-6 p.m. every Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday until mid-March. Parents will need to come in and sign a waiver on the first day the child attends or print one off from the city’s website at https://tinyurl.com/2s4d4cau for your child to bring with them.
This Thursday, Nov. 7, will be the FREE Tot Fire Department Tour. Bring the little ones to the Bluffton City Gym by 11 a.m., and we will walk over as a group to meet the crew at the fire station and sit inside their fire trucks.
Free Weekday Walking is held until March 29 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. in the Bluffton City Gym 128 E. Market St. Walking is one of the best exercises for all age groups and has many health benefits. Participants can enter through the glass door on the West side of the building and sign in on the wooden door each day they attend. If you are the last to leave the gym, please turn off the light in the southwest corner. 1 Mile = 20 laps
Now is a great time to reserve the pavilion at Washington Park for your winter and spring 2025 parties. The inside pavilion is open year-round and includes a warming kitchen and seating for 120 people. Amenities include a serving window with five dedicated outlets for crockpots/ roasters, a sink, a microwave, a refrigerator, and restroom access. If you want to rent pavilions from May to December 2025, call the park office at 8 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2025. Rental Rates are available at https://in-bluffton.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/746.
There is still time to purchase a K-9 Kommons Dog Park key for the remainder of the year. Memberships are only $25. Starting Nov. 11, keys for the 2025 season will be on sale. For more information, click the link: https://tinyurl.com/yekxv4f9.
We would like to send a big thank you to the following groups who recently purchased additional benches for Lancaster Park. Tony Garton with Buckets for Santa, Rick King with Sandy Koufax League, Dale and Pat Krummen (In Loving Memory of Erv and Lavera Krummen), and Gene and Marla (Houtz) Donaghy, Sarah, Renee, Trisha and Allison. Considering the daily attendance of visitors who enjoy the new park, these benches will come in very handy.
Don’t forget to change your clocks tomorrow and enjoy the extra hour of rest.
Have a great week!
