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Children’s Halloween Party was rescheduled to today (Friday)

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The Children’s Halloween Party that had been scheduled for Thursday was rescheduled to today (Friday, October 30) due to the forecast of heavy rain and high winds earlier this week.

The event, called Halloween Hollow, is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

As a result of the schedule change, the sold-out Día de los Muertos Celebration hosted by the City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has been moved to Monday, November 2, a press release said. For questions about this event, contact Eddie Chavez at (865) 425-3450.

The drive-through Children’s Halloween Party will now begin at the Oak Ridge Civic Center west side parking area and end at the Oak Ridge Public Library east side parking area. Event participants will be able to enjoy Halloween scenes and pick up preordered T-shirts, and children four years old to fourth grade will receive treats, the press release said.

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City offers tips to prevent spread of COVID-19 during Halloween

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The City of Oak Ridge does not regulate Halloween activities, but it has offered health safety tips and alternatives to celebrating the spooky season during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses, the city said in a press release. If you might have COVID-19 or might have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters, the city said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), these are some low-risk activities:

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Children’s Halloween Party will be drive-through this year

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The Children’s Halloween Party hosted by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will be a drive-through event this year.

The Children’s Halloween Party (Halloween Hollow) is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, October 29. It will begin at the field on the west side of Alvin K. Bissell Park and end at the parking area on the west side of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

It’s a drive-through event because of COVID-19.

“Event participants will be able to enjoy Halloween scenes and pick up pre-ordered T-shirts, and children four years old to 4th grade will receive treats,” a press release said.

Employees and volunteers will sanitize frequently and be required to wear masks or face coverings when approaching a car and when within six feet of another person, the press release said. Any participants who want to come in to view the spooky scenes and receive treats will also be required to wear masks or face coverings, the release said.

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Outdoor pool to open June 15 with changes

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

The City of Oak Ridge will open its outdoor pool for the season starting June 15, which is later than normal, with changes due to COVID-19.

The pool normally has swimming hours Memorial Day weekend, and then opens for the season around the first of June.

This year, the main outdoor pool on Providence Road will be open, but the little pool for children will remain closed for the summer, the city said in a press release Friday. The indoor pool at the Oak Ridge Civic Center will remain closed through the summer.

A maximum of 200 people will be allowed in the pool area at one time, and reservations can be made online through Eventbrite. Families will be spaced apart. Restrooms will be open, but the showers and dressing rooms will not be. The picnic table area will be closed, and no public or private pool parties will be allowed. Swimming lessons are canceled for now.

In the press release, the city said the pool water is being treated with chlorine, a disinfectant that “wipes out” the virus. The main focus will be following social distancing and repeatedly sanitizing commonly used areas, the press release said.

Here are the changes that will be in effect:

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Christmas Tree Lighting is Friday in Oak Ridge

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The Christmas Tree is pictured in a previous year in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has updated plans for the annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting scheduled for Friday, December 6. The event will now begin at 6 p.m. in Alvin K. Bissell Park. That is 30 minutes earlier than previously announced.

The order of events has also been updated so that the tree lighting kicks off the event in the Secret City Commemorative Walk area on the east side of the Oak Ridge Public Library parking lot. At the conclusion of the tree lighting, participants will proceed to the outdoor pavilion stage located behind the Oak Ridge Civic Center for holiday music and refreshments. 

The entire program will take place outside in the park (weather permitting). Guests are encouraged to dress appropriately. In the event of rain, the music program will take place in the Civic Center’s Shep Lauter Room (gymnasium), a press release said.

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Reservations now open for ‘Breakfast with Santa’

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The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board is hosting a “Breakfast with Santa” on Saturday, December 7. The event will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center, which is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The cost for the breakfast is $7 per participant ages 3 and up. Activities will include a kid-friendly breakfast buffet, Christmas crafts, and photos with Santa. 

Reservations are required as spots for the event are limited, a press release said. Digital photos will be available online for free, but participants may opt to pay $5 for a 4×6 photo at the event.

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Children’s Halloween Party is Oct. 24; sponsors, volunteers needed

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Halloween Party 2017 Star Wars Family Costume (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the annual Children’s Halloween Party on Thursday, October 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event is now in its 37th year and will be attended by hundreds of local children and their families, a press release said.

Activities will be held inside the Oak Ridge Civic Center, located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike, and a hay ride will be offered outside in A.K. Bissell Park, weather permitting. There is no admission fee for the event, but participation in most activities requires one or more tickets. Tickets can be purchased at the Civic Center. The cost is 25 cents per ticket or $5 for a pack of 20.

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Greenway, park closures announced during fall hunts

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The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has scheduled two scout days and three quota hunts on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area this fall.

During the scout and quota hunt days, these greenways and this park will be closed: Gallaher Bend Greenway, North Boundary Greenway, Haw Ridge Park, and the section of Melton Lake Greenway adjacent to Haw Ridge Park.

The hunts, which are open only to those with a valid TWRA quota permit, will take place on the following weekends:

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Tonight: Free Movie Night in the Park

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The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, in partnership with the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson, will host a free Movie Night in the Park event tonight (Friday, October 11).

The event will be held in Alvin K. Bissell Park beginning at 7 p.m. The movie shown will be Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion” (rated PG) from 2003 starring Eddie Murphy. Free popcorn and drinks will be available while supplies last, a press release said.

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New Senior Center opens Thursday

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The front of the new Oak Ridge Senior Center is pictured above. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The new Oak Ridge Senior Center opens today (Thursday, September 26) in Alvin K. Bissell Park in central Oak Ridge.

The new Senior Center was scheduled to open at 9 a.m. Normal operating hours were scheduled to resume Thursday, and so were most activities.

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department called it a “soft opening.” Oak Ridge municipal officials are planning a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony for later, and details will be announced soon, a press release said.

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Senior Center to be temporarily closed for move to new facility

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Oak Ridge Senior Center Front Sept 2019
Construction of the new Oak Ridge Senior Center on the west side of the Oak Ridge Civic Center has been completed. The front of the new Senior Center is pictured above. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Senior Center will be temporarily closed starting Monday, September 16, to allow the staff to relocate to the new Senior Center on the west side of the Civic Center.

The temporary closure was announced by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department.

Construction of the new center was finished on schedule, and staff can now occupy the space to complete final preparations, a press release said.

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Renovated Blankenship Field open for public use

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Blankenship-Field-James-Mitchell-Aug-2019
The renovated Blankenship Field—the city’s football field—and its walking track are now open for public use. The main change is that the grass field has been replaced with synthetic turf, but there are other changes as well. The field is pictured above in August 2019. (Photo by James Mitchell via City of Oak Ridge)

The renovated Blankenship Field—the city’s football field—and its walking track are now open for public use.

The main change is that the grass field has been replaced with synthetic turf, but there are other changes as well, including to scoreboards and end zone areas.

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department and Oak Ridge Schools announced the opening of the renovated field on Tuesday.

The field and track are accessible through a gate adjacent to the lower concession stand, a press release said. Like other public park facilities, public use is permitted from sunup to sundown, except when the field is reserved for special events, the press release said.

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