The Arnold Parks and Recreation Department is introducing two new events that will start this month at the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road.
The first one is called Friday Night Lights, an event that will be held one Friday each month from January through April, when the rec center will hold extended hours, until 7 p.m. Typically, the center is open from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.
The other new event is called Rave Wave, a special night of swimming featuring cosmic lighting and music. That event is set for 6-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at the indoor pool.
“We are doing this to have more offerings for our members and community,” said Teresa Kohut, Parks and Recreation Department superintendent.
The first Friday Night Lights will be this week, on Jan. 13. The extended Friday hours also are scheduled for Feb. 10, March 10 and April 14, Kohut said.
She said rec center members will not have to pay an extra fee to use the rec center on the Friday Night Light events, and non-members will be charged the daily usage fee, which is $6 for visitors between 5 and 59 and $5 for those 55 and older.
The indoor pool will be available for open swimming from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. during the Friday Night Lights events. Usually, open swimming is available only from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays.
Also during the Friday Night Lights events, the basketball courts, which typically close at 3:30 p.m., will be open until 7 p.m. The fitness area, which features various exercise machines, will be available until 7:30 p.m.
“This will give people an opportunity on Friday night to come and enjoy the rec center,” Kohut said. “Closing at 4 p.m. Friday is a lot of times a little too soon for families to get there.”
Rave Wave
Both rec center members and non-members will be charged an admission fee to participate in the Rave Wave. The cost is $6 for rec center members and $8 for non-members.
Preregistration is required to attend, and the registration deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 24.
The two-hour swimming event will have a party atmosphere with music playing and cosmic lighting bathing the indoor-pool area throughout the evening.
“We invested in some lighting that we used for the Cosmic Nerf War in November, and now we will use the lighting for the pool party,” Kohut said. “Along with the lighting and music, there will be things like glow-in-the-dark beach balls. Hopefully, it will be fun. We are targeting families and pre-teens and teens to give them something to do on a Friday night.”
To reserve a spot for the Rave Wave, call 636-282-2380.