Roanoke Parks and Recreation hosts a wide variety of youth and family-friendly events throughout the summer, including multiple summer camp programs! Kids to Parks Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May, and Independence Day is recognized with a free Festival & Fireworks at River’s Edge Park. See below for more programs, events, and camps scheduled for this summer!
Play Roanoke Summer Camps & Youth Programs
🤸♀️ 2024 All-Day Summer P.L.A.Y. Camp
All-Day Summer P.L.A.Y. Camp
JUNE 17 – AUGUST 9 | $125/week
Ages 5-11 | MONDAY-FRIDAY | 7:30 A.M. TO 6:00 P.M.
EUREKA, PRESTON, & GRANDIN COURT REC CENTERS
Join us for a summer packed full of activities! With convenient weekly sessions at three locations, this summer all-day version of our After School P.L.A.Y. program includes sports and games, speakers/instructors, arts and crafts, and various field trips, all with a focus on overall youth development. Qualified, trained, and experienced staff will initiate fun and interactive activities for all participants.
- June 17 – August 9, 2024
- Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (excluding holidays).
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack provided
- $125/week
- Participants can register weekly, or for the entire summer.
- Registration is taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
To register, please contact the recreation center directly:
- Preston Rec Center: 540-853-2770
- Eureka Rec Center: 540-853-2675
- Grandin Court Rec Center: 540-853-2446
🛶 2024 Outdoor Adventure and Big Adventure Camps
Outdoor Exploration Camp
Ages 8-11 | MONDAY-FRIDAY | 8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
Get outside this summer with Roanoke Parks and Recreation Outdoor Exploration Camp! This camp is designed to keep your child engaged outside with nature activities including wilderness survival, nature crafts, and river ecology. Campers will also experience outdoor recreation activities like hiking, ropes course, zipline, caving, water sports (canoeing, kayaking, tubing or Stand Up Paddle Boarding), archery, slackline, and rock climbing. Outdoor Exploration Camp will meet at Fishburn Park and travel each day to a new adventure.
Cost: $295 per week
Big Adventure Camp
Ages 12-14 | MONDAY-FRIDAY | 8:30 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
Get outside this summer with Roanoke Parks and Recreation Big Adventure Camp! We’ve created a summer camp experience geared toward different, more challenging excursion for older youth. While similar to Outdoor Exploration Camp, we’ll be exploring different venues and building various adventure skills for a new, engaging experience. Returning campers and first time participants are welcome! Our activities may include hiking, caving, water sports (canoeing, kayaking, tubing, or Stand Up Paddleboarding), rope course, archery, zipline, slackline, and rock climbing. Big Adventure Camp will meet at Fallon Park and travel to a new adventure each day.
Cost: $310 per week
🏀 Horton Hoops Weekly Pickup Basketball Games (FREE)
Horton Hoops
Ages 13-18 | THURSDAYS | JUN 13 – AUG 8 | Horton Park
FREE Summer pickup basketball games for ages 13 to 18. Meet up Thursdays from 4:30-6:30 PM at Horton Park (2500 Salem Turnpike NW). We’ll have music, speakers, food, games, and prizes!
☀ Summer Fun at Washington Park (FREE)
Summer Fun at Washington Park
MONDAY-FRIDAY | JUN 17 – AUG 9 | 2:00-5:00 PM
Check our social media for any updates to the schedule!
Throughout summer 2024, PLAY Roanoke is excited to offer FREE Summer Fun at Washington Park! Starting June 17, visitors to upper Washington Park will be able to enjoy inflatables every weekday afternoon, with a variety of pop-up recreation programming throughout the summer. Every Friday, there will also be a DJ and food. Recreation programming will vary throughout the summer, so keep an eye on our social media for updates.
🔦 2024 Cavesim Mobile Caving Experience (FREE)
Cavesim Mobile Caving Experience
JULY 12 | 2:00-5:00 PM | WASHINGTON PARK (UPPER)
JULY 13 | 9:00 AM-5:00 PM | WASENA PARK
Learn about and test your skills. With CaveSim, you can explore 60-feet of artificial cave passage, get hands-on practice with caving equipment, and marvel at the delicate formations. It is FREE to participate, so bring the whole family!
Nine-year-old Lyvianne Miller makes her way through the crawl through-cave simulator at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on Wednesday morning. Wednesday was National Caves and Karst Day which aimes to raise awareness of the crucial roles caves and karsts play by encouraging people to get out and cave this summer. The simulator at the park contained and upper and lower level for participants to crawl and squeeze through while also being staying aware of their surroundings. Buzzers dinged when cave formations, walls, insects, bats and more were accidentally bumped.
🎉 PLAY-Palooza Back to School Event (FREE)
PLAY-Palooza Back to School Event
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9 | 2:00-6:00 PM | WASHINGTON PARK (UPPER)
Families are invited to join PLAY Roanoke for our Back to School PLAY-PALOOZA! This year, PLAY-PALOOZA will celebrate the end of summer in conjunction with our Summer Fun at Washington Park program where we will have bounce houses, food for participants, and a live DJ.
Join us on August 9th from 2 PM – 6 PM to discover all of the programs that PLAY Roanoke has to offer. Learn about outdoor recreation activities, athletics sports teams, environmental education programs, and more! We will also feature information from other providers including, but not limited to, after school care, athletic clubs, family services, recreation opportunities, and lots of other vendors.
⚽ 2024 Brazilian Soccer Summer Camp
Brazilian Soccer Summer Camp
Ages 4-16 | MONDAY-FRIDAY | July 15-19 | River’s Edge Park
Expert coaches, exciting games, and loads of fun will help spark your kid’s love for soccer. Get ready for a summer of unforgettable adventures!
The program emphasizes individually tailored approaches, fostering a positive, safe and enjoyable learning environment. Emphasis is placed on recognizing and praising each athlete, fostering confidence, motivation, and autonomy. Participants gain fun and memorable experiences, enjoying freestyle sessions and cultural exposure in a meticulously organized camp rooted in Beyond Soccer philosophy and Brazilian flair.
FULL DAY CAMP: $2359:00 AM – 3:00 PM | HALF DAY CAMP: $1899:00 AM – 12:00 PM | FUTURE STARS: $993:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Free Jersey for early registration by May 15!
