Take Advantage of Outdoor Opportunities & Events This Summer

Summer Parks

While we’ve had a series of cold and rainy days lately, summer is just around the corner, and I wanted to share some information about amenities and events open to East Hartford residents. I urge everyone to get outside; explore our parks, pools and walking trails and discover something new about the great town we live in.

This summer the riverfront is hopping with many great events. Great River Park is playing host to our Sounds of Summer Concert series this summer, starting Thursday, July 6 with Under Mountain Crossing bringing you bluegrass and rock and roll sounds. Concerts run Thursday evenings at 6PM from July 6 through August 10. But if you aren’t willing to wait, Riverfront Recapture is sponsoring Riverfront Swing: Salute to the Big Bands on Saturday, June 10 from 6:30 to 8:15PM. Beyond concerts Great River Park is also the Big Run, a unique running event where runners around the country celebrate Global Running Day and compete against runners at hundreds of local venues around the country.

A full list of events at Great River Park can be found on the Parks & Recreation web page at: http://www.easthartfordct.gov/parks-recreation/pages/summer-events-at-great-river-park. If you’d like more information about the events put on by Riverfront Recapture, please visit their website at www.riverfront.org.

Our Parks are looking great, with many new upgrades and improvements completed last summer. Are you up for a game of tennis on the rebuilt and resurfaced courts at East Hartford High School? You can play during the day, and at night with a new, state of the art energy efficient lighting system.

There are new swings and benches at Hockanum Park and a new playscape on the Town Green. Last summer Town resurfaced two basketball courts in front of Hockanum School and installed a new parking lot at Labor Field.

Our Town’s five outdoor pools open for the season on June 18, and swimming lessons will be available, taught by our able Parks staff. Summer camps for the kids start on Monday, June 26. Parks and Recreation is also hosting two Summer Splash Parties, Saturday, July 22 from 1-4PM at Lord Pool and Friday, July 28 from 5-7:30PM at Martin Pool. These events are a great way to beat the heat and have fun for the entire family with pool games, arts and crafts and music.

We also have an unbelievable network of walking, hiking and biking trails, including the Hockanum Trail and the East Coast Greenway, running through our town. Join us for a National Trails Day clean-up at Martin Park this Saturday, June 3 from 10AM – 12PM.

Residents wishing to host parties at picnic areas in town parks can get permits at the Parks and Recreation office at 50 Chapman Place. For information on all of these amenities and a full schedule of pools, camps, and events, visit our Parks and Recreation Department webpage at www.easthartfordct.gov/parks-recreation

No matter what you like to do for fun, East Hartford has it all, so get out there this summer, have fun, relax, and enjoy everything we have to offer.