Following the reversion back to Phase III of Safer at Home Mesa County, Orange with High Risk, the City of Grand Junction is moving to modify some additional Parks & Recreation facilities and services. Much of the City’s parks and recreation system has been able to remain open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The system includes over 900 acres of open space, over 20 miles of trails and 36 developed parks. This has been important for the health of our community. With that said, the recent dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases is forcing changes to Parks & Recreation services as follows. These will remain in effect until further notice and will likely continue into the New Year.
· The Orchard Mesa Pool will close on Friday, November 13. It will not be open this Friday.
· The Bookcliff Activity Center will close after Friday, November 20. This includes the cancellation of indoor pickleball, fencing and fitness classes (fitness classes at all sites will be cancelled).
· The Senior Center remains closed.
· The Hospitality Suite at the Lincoln Park Stadium will be closed as of November 20.
· The Stadium is not available for rental at this time.
· The Santa Cause 5k run will be happening as planned, as a virtual race. The deadline for sign up is December 3rd at gjcity.org or by calling (970) 254-3866.
· Holiday Special Events, the Candy Cane Hunt and the Chocolate Walk are cancelled.
· The Virtual Holiday Light Tour will be posted on social media in the first week in December, which will including prime Holiday light areas such as Downtown. Keep a lookout for these developments to get into the holiday spirit.
· The Parks & Recreation offices will be closed after Friday, November 13 including the Parks Operations office at 2527 High Country Court and the Parks & Recreation Admin at 1340 Gunnison Ave. Staff may be reached via email at gjparksandrec@gjcity.org or via phone at (970) 254-3866 during regular business hours.
· Outdoor facilities remain open including the City’s 36 developed parks, 25 playgrounds and court facilities, including pickleball, tennis and basketball. As fewer services are available with the worsening pandemic, we encourage outdoor recreation to promote health.
As Mesa County’s case count climbs, the City requests that community members continue to practice proper social distancing, wash or sanitize hands frequently and wear masks.
More information is available at gjparksandrec.org or by calling (970) 254-3866.