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Kingsport Public Library coordinating firefly science project

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The Kingsport Public Library is encouraging families to embrace their inner scientist this summer by participating in a special program about lightning bugs.

The project is called the Firefly Watch Community Science Project and its goal is to enlist volunteers from across the country to collect data about fireflies. Are firefly populations growing or shrinking and what is causing these changes in their population? You can help answer these questions and more by participating in this project.

Learn how to join in by coming to an introductory session at the Kingsport Public Library on June 6 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. There you will be provided instructions and your own Citizen Science journals to record your observations about fireflies or the lack of them in your neighborhood.

You can then upload and share your results at the wrap-up meeting on June 27 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The information volunteers collect will be used by scientists to learn more about changes in the firefly populations across the United States. The project is a Citizen Science project sponsored by the Massachusetts Audubon Society and Tufts University.

For more information about the project visit https://bit.ly/3q8m8On.

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Kingsport Parks & Recreation offers Fishing 101

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Children of all ages interested in taking the bait and learning how to cast a rod can do so through a program offered by the Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department.

Throughout the month of June, the department will be offering Fishing 101 – a four-week program that will teach children the basics of fishing, including how to bait a hook, tie knots and what bait can be used to catch certain fish.

The sessions will take place every Tuesday in June (6, 13, 20 and 27) from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Allandale Mansion ponds. The cost is $30 per person and the fee includes bait and the four instructional sessions. Participants will have to bring their own rods.

To register for this program, click on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the “CivicRec” link, then search for “fishing” in the search bar.

For more information about other Kingsport Parks and Recreation programs, visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org.

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Open House for the Lynn Garden Community

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The City of Kingsport wants to hear from the residents, businesses and property owners in Lynn Garden on what could make the community a better place to live, work and raise a family.

If you’re interested in sharing your ideas and opinions on how to improve the Lynn Garden community, then please plan to attend an Open House on June 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kennedy Elementary School (1500 Woodland Avenue).

You are welcome to stop by any time between those hours, hear the ideas being discussed and talk to members of the team leading the project to improve the Lynn Garden community.

This open house is being held in connection with a corridor study currently underway for Lynn Garden Drive. A Nashville-based consulting company is analyzing the short and long-term potential for the corridor and recommendations are expected to be presented to the city later this summer.

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Go Outside and Celebrate National Trails Day

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The City of Kingsport is encouraging everyone to participate in National Trails Day this Saturday (June 3) by going outside and either walking, running or biking along one of the many trails found within our fair city.

National Trails Day is an annual event held on the first Saturday in June and is sponsored by the American Hiking Society. In Kingsport, you can join in on the fun with these scheduled events:

Guided History Hike at Bays Mountain Park (10 a.m.): Take a four-mile round trip hike along sections of Lakeside and Lake Road Trails listening to stories about the families who once lived on the mountain.

The cost is $5 per person and the event is expected to take approximately three hours. You can register by clicking on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the “CivicRec” link, then search for “history hike” in the search bar.

Griddy on the Greenbelt (10 a.m.): Families of all ages can come out to the Indian Trail Drive trailhead (behind PetSmart) and participate in a dance that’s taken TikTok by storm. Participants will perform the griddy dance at various stations with music and children’s activities (sidewalk chalk and bubbles), then after crossing the finish line, families can go to the Marble Slab and receive a 20% group discount on their order.

Each year, tens of thousands of hikers, bikers, paddlers, horseback riders, trail clubs, federal and local agencies, land trusts, and businesses come together on National Trails Day to advocate for, maintain, clean up and celebrate trails and nature.

Last year, more than 700 sites across the U.S. brought people together for various recreational and volunteer opportunities. More than 12,314 trail volunteers built and maintained more than 347 miles of trails as part of the festivities.

“From Borden Park to the Kingsport Greenbelt to Bays Mountain Park, Kingsport has trails for all ages and all abilities,” said Travis Sensabaugh, program administrator for Kingsport Parks and Recreation. “Even if it’s only for 20 minutes, we encourage you and your family to go outside this Saturday and participate in National Trails Day.”

You can also share your trail experience by tagging #NationalTrailsDay and @AmericanHiking on your social media channels.

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Saturdays with the Chef begins this week

Saturdays with the Chef makes its return to the Kingsport Farmers Market on June 3. Discover how to take advantage of those peak season produce items with creative tips and new recipes from local chefs.

“We’re excited to bring in the summer season with this wonderful program,” said Market Manager Kristie Leonard. “The Kingsport Farmers Market is a great place to shop, but we also strive to be a place where people can learn something new too.”

Saturdays with the Chef is a free cooking demo series showcasing local chefs and their recipes using produce available at the Kingsport Farmers Market. Free samples of the recipes will be available at each demo.

The series takes place every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. in June at the Kingsport Farmers Market.

Come sample cooking from featured chefs from local businesses, then buy the ingredients to make it at home while you’re at the market. Purchasing from local farmers not only boosts the local economy, but also is a great way to provide healthy and fresh food for you and your family.

The series is sponsored by Food City, Visit Kingsport, Healthy Kingsport and the City of Kingsport.

For more information on the Kingsport Farmers Market, please visit kingsportfarmersmarket.org.

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Lunchtime Concerts return to Glen Bruce Park

The Friday Lunchtime Live concerts are returning to Glen Bruce Park next month for a summer filled with talented musicians and tasty offerings from local food trucks.

Now in their third year, the lunchtime concerts will run from June 2 to July 14, starting at noon each of those days. The concerts are free and open to the public. Simply bring a chair or blanket and enjoy lunch while listening to local musicians. A food truck will be in the parking lot behind the library during the concerts.

The concerts series is sponsored by Friends of the Kingsport Public Library.

This year’s lineup:

June 2   Chance Lawson                                 Lazzzy Chicken Food Truck

June 9                  Kingsport Community Band              Brunch Box Food Truck

June 16                Southern Cities                                    Sully’s Meatballs Food Truck

June 23                Mahto & the Loose Balloons             BD&F Farms Kitchen Food Truck

June 30                Jamey & Catfish                                   Spudwagon

July 7                    These Are the Angles                          Spudwagon

July 14                  Tri-Cities Jazz Orchestra                    Lazzzy Chicken and Sully’s Meatballs

For more information visit www.kingsportlibrary.org or call the library at 423-224-2539.

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Kingsport offering Tai Chi classes in June

Tai Chi is a Chinese marital art often described as “meditation in motion” that focuses on low-impact, slow-motion exercise. Practitioners use Tai Chi to gain balance and flexibility, as a form of meditation and to improve their physical and spiritual health.

Kingsport’s Parks and Recreation Department will be offering Tai Chi classes at the Farmers Market on June 3, 10, 17 and 24. Classes are for ages 12 and up and cost $30 for all four or $8 per class.

To register for these classes, click on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the “CivicRec” link, then search for “Tai Chi” in the search bar. You can also pay at the farmers market the day of the class. If you have any questions, contact Lindsey Devin at 423-229-9458. For more information about other Kingsport Parks and Recreation programs, visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org.

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Riverview Splash Pad opens Saturday for summer season

The Riverview Splash Pad (1101 Martin Luther Jr. Drive) will open for the summer season this Saturday (May 27) and will remain open until the end of September.

The splash pad will be active from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day during the summer. The splash pad can be turned on during these hours by rubbing the silver activator pad located on the wall between the restrooms.

The splash pad is a zero-depth aquatic play structure that allows children to experience different types of water environments. Because the splash pad is a zero-depth facility, it does not have a lifeguard on duty, so all children must be supervised during their visit.

Features of the splash pad include surface water jets, a snake head water spray, run-through loops with water jets, rotating water cannons, water buckets and a palm tree with water jets.

Each of the picnic shelters adjacent to the splash pad can be reserved through the Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department by calling 423-224-2489 or 423-343-9723. You can also click on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or visit www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the “CivicRec” link. Then select “outdoor rentals.”

The rentals are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information about the splash pad visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org.

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Enjoy movies all summer long at the Kingsport Public Library

The Kingsport Public Library plans to show free movies for children and teens throughout the summer.

The movies are open to anyone and will be shown in the first-floor auditorium of the library. Movie-goers will also enjoy a free bag of popcorn during the shows.

This summer’s line-up includes animated and live-action movies featuring such characters as a sword-wielding cat, a talking pig, a macabre family, a Polynesian princess, a Columbian family with magical powers and a rag-tag group of treasure hunters.

Movie showing schedule:

  • June 12 at 2 p.m.
  • June 26 at 2 p.m.
  • July 10 at 2 p.m.
  • July 15 at 3 p.m. (An interactive movie for teens)
  • July 31 at 2 p.m.
  • August 26 at 2 p.m.

For more information about the movies, please call the library at 423-229-9489. For other events and programs taking place at the Kingsport Public Library, visit www.kingsportlibrary.org.

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Blast off on a voyage to the Red Planet

A new planetarium program now showing at Bays Mountain Park takes you on a journey to the Red Planet – the farthest voyage ever conceived by humans.

Mars: The Ultimate Voyage is now showing as the main planetarium program through August. In May, the show will take place Tuesday through Friday at 4 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. In June-August, it will be shown at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily.

The 35-minute show is followed by a live tour of the night sky using the planetarium’s optical star projector.

Mars: The Ultimate Voyage provides a real look at what it would take to complete the complex mission of traveling to Mars and back. Discover the many challenges astronauts will face – and how creativity, communication and collaboration are essential for deep space exploration.

People from all backgrounds with a variety of skill sets will be required to be part of this mission. The program highlights the NASA research and training necessary to address these critical needs, while also aiming to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals.

Mars: The Ultimate Voyage was produced by both Bell Museum & UNC Morehead Planetarium and Science Center with funding by NASA.

“We are fortunate enough to be the only planetarium outside of the two producing planetaria to present this program at this time,” Thanz said. “We believe children of all ages will thoroughly enjoy it and hopefully be inspired by it.”

Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee