A LEGENDARY COMEBACK Providing legendary experiences is at the core of everything we do at Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation - it’s a way of life for the thousands of people that make up our team, and it’s a key reason why we’ve been able to bounce back after the disruption of the pandemic. This year our recreation center member numbers, program participation numbers, special event attendee numbers and even our staffing numbers, are all at healthy levels and close to ‘pre-pandemic’ figures. This was also a year of some unique ‘firsts,’ including the first visit by a sitting president to one of our parks & recreation facilities, and the first official mountain bike trail opened in the city. Throughout the year work has also been underway on our first year-round park pavilion at Great Neck Park, and we launched Parks After Dark - the first program of its kind in the region.
These firsts, along with the legendary dedication and hard work of our team and partners, are also the reason why Virginia Beach was named a finalist, for the third year in a row, in the national Gold Medal Awards. This is yet more recognition that our park system is among the very best in the nation - and the improvements haven’t stopped. In the near future, residents will enjoy enhancements at our most popular park Mount Trashmore, a completely renovated Level Green Park in Centerville, and a new paved trail connecting Foxfire Park with the Municipal Center. With these improvements, and some transformative projects at Rudee Loop and on the VBTrail on the horizon, there’s no doubt that there’s plenty more legendary experiences still to come.
Michael Kirschman Director
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