Oro Valley Parks & Recreation

Your Weekly Guide To Events, Activities And More!

Hey Oro Valley!

Happy Thursday! We hope everyone is having a wonderful week! For those lucky enough to have a three day weekend, enjoy it! We have some exciting events and programs coming up, like a Classical Concert Series at Riverfront Park on Sunday! Please read on to learn more and stay safe and healthy Oro Valley!

Oro Valley Classical Concert Series At Riverfront Park
Date: Sunday, February 19
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Riverfront Amphitheater
Details: Concerts begin at 4 PM outdoors at the grass amphitheater of Riverfront Park in Oro Valley. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or chairs. Snacks will be available for purchase from food trucks onsite. Free Admission. This month will feature Tucson Desert Harmony Chorus. Click here to learn more about Tucson Desert Harmony. 

Spring Break Camps Now Open For Registration
Our youth spring break camps are now open for registration! Click here to learn more information and to register!

Vote For Your Favorite Naranja Park Splashpad Design
Survey Closes Tomorrow, February 17
We need your input! The Naranja Park Expansion Project includes the addition of a splashpad. The design team has narrowed the splashpad design to two options. Each design features the same footprint, shade, wall seating, and play zone transitions (tot, family, dynamic) that are accessible to all. They share similar structures such as the OV bucket tower, the custom quail archway and spray features. The main differences are option A includes a multilayered play table and flower spray tower and Option B includes a slide. Please take a look at the options (see link below) and vote on the one you feel will provide users with the best experience. The vote will close on Friday, February 17 at 11:59 p.m. and the winning design will be announced via social media, Town website and weekly email blast on February 23. We appreciate your time and feedback! Click here to vote!

Senior Programs Through Ov Parks & Recreation
Oro Valley Parks & Recreation offers many senior-oriented activities and programs, such as painting and drawing, photography, fitness classes, volunteer opportunities and more! Click here to learn about the activities we offer!

Interested in providing a program for seniors with Oro Valley Parks and Recreation? Click here to learn how to submit a course proposal!

Ukulele Jam Session
Date: Sunday, February 19
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Oro Valley Community Center, Sunset Room, 10555 N La Canada Dr.
Details: Bring your ukulele and a smile! All words and chords will be displayed. All levels of musical ability are encouraged to attend. Acoustic guitars, audio-harps, kazoos, and singers are always welcome! Just for fun! The jam session will be located in the Sunset Room, which is located upstairs near the Overlook Restaurant.

Tucson Bicycle Classic brings bike circuit race to Oro Valley on March 5; motorists should expect traffic delays/restrictions
The Tucson Bicycle Classic will feature a circuit race in Oro Valley on March 5, from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Oro Valley race route will be around Naranja Park and is expected to bring about 600-700 professional riders. The race route/circuit around Naranja Park is just over four miles long, and riders will complete that route up to seven times, providing spectators an excellent opportunity to view these athletes in action multiple times. The race will begin and end near the entrance to Naranja Park (810 W. Naranja Drive), with various viewing areas along the route. On event day, Naranja Park will be closed to all vehicles from 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. except to the racers. Click here for a map of the impacted areas.

Group fitness classes
Click here for the February fitness schedule!

Closure of gym area February 27 - March 1 for installation of new strength equipment and transition of racquetball court
As we stated in previous communication, the facility will be replacing almost all of its strength equipment. We are very excited to announce that this project is scheduled to begin February 27 and we anticipate it will take three days to complete. During this time we will need to close off this area, which means members will not have access to strength and cardio equipment and we will not be offering any fitness classes during this time. The pool (including water aerobics) and courts will remain open. In addition, we are taking advantage of this closure to begin the conversion of Racquetball Court #1 to a recreation lounge space, which will feature ping pong, foosball, shuffleboard, TV with gaming systems and tables and chairs for card or board games. While we understand this may interrupt your fitness schedule, we do feel these necessary improvements will have a substantial positive impact on the facility. We thank you for your understanding and patience throughout this process!

Pickleball Programming

- The next season of leagues is now open!Click here to view and register. 

- We will be hosting our annual pickleball tournament March 24-26!Click here to join in on the fun!

- On March 9 we will be hosting a pickleball seminar on injuries, prevention and treatment options. Join Dr. Steven Ward, D.O. Orthopedic Surgeon on Thursday, March 9 at 11 a.m. for an informative seminar on common pickleball injuries, prevention and treatment options. Click here to sign up for this free opportunity!

Oro Valley Aquatic Center Updates

Reopening Details
We are excited to welcome you all back to the facility and we want to thank you again for your patience as we performed these necessary improvements. As you return to the facility please take note of the areas that we focused on during our closure. This includes refurbished dive blocks, and new diving boards. Admire our freshly cleaned Olympic Pool surface and crystal clear water. Much of our closure focused on our pump room so we wanted to share with you the magnitude of the system that keeps our facility cutting edge, clean, and healthy. Click here and please take a moment to see what all we accomplished. As a reminder, the Aquatic Center reopened Monday, February 13. During our closure we also focused on some operational changes that will increase lane opportunities and make our facility use much more efficient. These changes are detailed below.

- Lane Registration Times: As of Saturday, February 11^th you will find that lane registration times are now going to take place at NOON, every day of the week. The main focus behind this change was customer service. By shifting our registration time to noon, we can ensure that staff is on site and available to assist in the registration process seven days a week.

- Multiple Reservations per Day: As you are aware, throughout the year there are certain times of day that experience lighter use. In order to maximize lane use at all times of the day, and provide an opportunity for those who wish to swim more, we are allowing users to now swim during multiple time slots a day. This opportunity is no longer limited to 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. weekdays. However, there is a new process in securing your second time slot.

- As in the past your first reservation of the day can be secured on PlayOV.com.
- Your second reservation must be done in person and cannot be secured until the start of that time slot. This ensures everyone has the opportunity to swim at least once per day, without limiting those who wish to swim longer.
- So for example, Lisa has an 8 a.m. reservation and wishes to also swim at 9 a.m. Lisa will need to exit her lane and return to the front. If, at 9 a.m. there are open lanes Lisa will be registered for her second lane and given a new lane assignment. If, as Lisa is waiting for 9 a.m. Amy walks up at 8:58 seeking her first lane of the day, Amy will be given priority.

- Holding Lanes for No Show Reservations: We will be adjusting the window in which we will hold your reserved lane from 30 minutes, to 15 minutes. This is again in response to user comments and management’s desire to be more efficient with our facility. This of course does not guarantee that your lane will be given away after 15 minutes, but in the chance that someone is waiting for a lane and you are more than 15 minutes late, you will forfeit your claim to a lane at that hour. Swimmers are still allowed to check in for their reservation as early as 30 minutes prior to their start time.

- Increased Shared Lanes During Primetime: In response to comments about limited lanes during peak demand times, we have converted many single use lanes to shared use. When space is limited, the only way to increase lane opportunities is to be open to sharing our limited resources.

Event Closure February 17-19
The Aquatic Center will have limited hours February 17-19 due to the Cactus Classic Synchronized Swimming Event. Please click here to see closure details and visit PlayOV.com for lap lane reservations. 

Giftable Greetings Card Workshop
Date: Saturday, March 4
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Oro Valley Community & Recreation Center
Details: Giftable Greetings Card Workshop at the Oro Valley Community & Recreation Center. Participants will create custom handcrafted birthday and special occasion giftable greeting cards.
Registration Link:Click here

Young Rembrandts Rock Out Multimedia Camp
Dates: March 13 - 15
Time: 1-4 p.m.
Location: Oro Valley Community & Recreation Center
Details: For every child who dreams of partying like a rock star, Young Rembrandts offers its Rock Out! camp. It’s three days of artistic, rock and roll imagery. During the opening act, students will draw stylized instruments. The party never seems to end as we illustrate close-up portraits of rock stars. Then finally, it’s time to hit the stage as we draw an awesome concert scene to close out our last day of class. Students will be drawing and painting using watercolors, colored pencils, and markers. Long live rock and roll, sign up today!
Registration Link:Click here

Photography Classes
Day of the week: Thursdays
Time: various
Location: Participants will meet at the OV Community Center and drive to a location selected by the instructor. Participants will be responsible for providing their own transportation. 
Details: This class will be taught at various locations and will provide instruction for a variety of photography skills and techniques. The 4-week session will a variety of photography: basic, bird, architectural and street and candid photography. These group classes will be taught by an instructor with more than 25 years of experience.
Cost: $180 for 4-week session or $50 per class
February Registration Link: Click here
March Registration Link:Click here

Saturday Wine Glass Painting
Date: Saturday, February 18
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: OV Community & Recreation Center, 10555 N La Canada Dr.
Registration Link:Click here
Details: Come have some fun painting on glass. Follow along with detailed step by step instruction, learning new brush strokes and techniques. Use the themed designs available in class, or create your own. This month's theme is watermelons. We use special acrylic glass paint that will stay on your painted wine glass permanently! It is even dishwasher safe. $35, Includes all supplies, and 1 glass of your choice to paint. Choose from 4 glass styles. Additional glasses available for purchase for $5 each.

Painting And Drawing With Christine Lytwynzuk
Day(s): Thursdays and Saturdays
Time(s):  Thurs. 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Sat. 9 a.m. - noon
Location: Oro Valley Community & Recreation Center
Registration Links: Click here
Details: Join us at our fun and supportive Painting and Drawing class. This class is structured like a “small group private lesson.” Christine will work with artists one-on-one, helping them achieve their specific goals in art at their own pace. All skill levels are welcome! If you’ve never touched a brush before or can’t draw with a pencil, no problem! Christine can help you build a strong foundation and give you the confidence you need to make art an enjoyable and rewarding part of your life.

Exhibits At The Pusch House Museum At Steam Pump Ranch
The Oro Valley Historic Society (OVHS) presents exhibits at the Pusch House Museum the 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th Saturdays September through April.  Walking tours of Steam Pump Ranch are the 3^rd Saturday of the month (except December).  Exhibits and tours are from 9 a.m. to noon.  Check the OVHS website for current information www.ovhistory.org/event  or Facebook Oro Valley Historical Society.

The Pusch Ridge 9 is in full swing! Fast, fun and affordable... come see for yourself! Click here to learn about the course.

El Conquistador Golf has a membership option for everyone! Click here to see all of the options. 

Click here to learn about golf short term membership options!

Follow @elconquistadorgolf on Instagram and @elcongolf on Facebook for the latest El Conquistador Golf news and specials.

February 18: Junior Satellite Doubles Event (2 p.m.) at CRC

February 20: Spring In-house League sign-up begins

February 23-26: Adult & Junior Instructional Program Break: Rodeo