From left, Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Program Supervisor Josh Bass, Recreation Superintendent Scott Alston and Recreation Supervisor Earl Keith clear brush at Bill Fay Park. Photo by Junious Smith III / Neuse News

This story originally published on May 9.

By Junious Smith III

An old staple to kick off the summer youth sports season is back for 2019 in Kinston.

Officials with the Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Department are preparing for “A Day In The Park,” set for Saturday, May 18 at Bill Fay Park. Members of the department have been cleaning up the park, repainting some areas, clearing brush and ultimately looking to beautify Bill Fay for the upcoming season.

County Program Supervisor Andy Spence said there will be numerous events for community members of all ages.

“We’ll have a Par 3 golf tournament, a tennis tournament, Flimsy the Clown will be here and there’s an obstacle course that will be put together by the National Guard,” Spence said. “We’ll also have food trucks — King’s Barbecue and Gigi’s Snack Shack will be here — and there will be carnival games.

“It’s also a way to kick off the Little League season. We want to celebrate baseball and open up the new season.”

Administrative Manager Debra Wicker said there was plenty of conversation and the time felt right to bring back an event that had been dormant for roughly a decade.

“There’s been a lot of brainstorming with the program staff with ways to get the community involved,” she said. “We wanted to bring back this event, which was always big for the area and we’ll see if it will continue.”

Recreation Superintendent Scott Alston said there will be plenty of acts around the clock.

“There will be performances every 30 minutes,” Alston said. “Mooves Dance Studio will be performing, Carl Ox will come out with amazing strong man feats and there will be other great shows set.”

Program Supervisor Josh Bass said there’s plenty to offer for the May 18 event, which will run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

“There are great opportunities for food and prizes, so we’re hoping the community comes out and takes advantage,” Bass said.

Looking toward the future, Parks and Rec Director Corey Povar said there are plans to do more beautification in the future across the area and look for community assistance.

“We wanted to put this together as a team this time around,” Povar said. “We’re also going to clean up different locations and our next stop will be Emma Webb Park. In time, we want it to grow and have community involvement, but this time around we were looking to see what we could do as an organization.”

The golf tournament starts at 10 a.m., with a senior division for those 65 and older, along with an open division for all ages. Registration is $5, and there will be opportunities for a best ball competition, hole-in-one contest and closest to the pin challenge. Those looking to sign up for the competition can contact Bass at 252-939-3338.

For tennis, the competition will be under USTA rules and for those 18 and under. Registration is $25.