Parks Home | Calendar | Facilities | Arts & Cultural Affairs | Athletics - Youth | Athletics - Adult | Aquatics | Golf Gymnastics | Natural Resources | Recreation Centers | Tennis | Therapeutics | Special Events

April 2011

69th Annual Yaarab Shrine Circus & Carnival

Opening April 22nd, the Yaarab Shrine Circus will take over the fairgrounds at Jim Miller Park. Come one, come all to the 2011 Yaraab Shrine Circus and Carnival. This is the world's largest Shrine Circus that features top performers including heart-pounding thrills presented by the Tarzan Zerbini Circus.  See Lion Dance, Magnificient Morris Elephants, heart-stopping high-wire, electrifying acrobatics, The Chinese Arial Pole, The Zerbini Liberty Horses, contortion artists, Rolling Globes, sword dancing, bungee acrobatics, camels, dogs and ponies performances, The Flying Preciados on the highwire, lots of Shrine clowns and much, much more.

The Yaarab Shrine Circus and Carnival lasts for 10 days and goes through May 1st. Back again this year are unbelievable ride specials. On Thursday, April 21st, the carnival will open a day early and charge just $10.00 for unlimited rides that day and that day only! Also, $20.00 unlimited rides Monday, April 25th through Thursday, April 28th.  Other special days include: Monday, April 25th is Dollar Day – Circus admission $1.00 for children and many food items are $1.00; and Wednesday, April 27th – all active armed forces personnel admitted FREE to the circus (with proper I.D.). On Thursday, April 21st the gigantic flea market will open. The flea market will be packed with furniture, toys, household items, clothes and much, much more.

The circus opens at 7:30pm on Friday, April 22nd. Performance times are Monday-Friday at 7:30pm; Saturdays 11:00am, 1:00pm, 4:30pm and 7:30pm and Sundays at 1:00pm, 4:30pm and 7:30pm. Gates to the carnival open at 5:00pm Monday-Friday; Saturdays at 10:00am; Sundays at noon. General admission to Jim R. Miller Park is free; circus tickets are available at the gate - $10 for adults; $7 per child.

The 2011 Hunt - Cobb's Largest Egg Hunt

Cobb County’s Largest Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, April 16th, at the Cobb Safety Village located at 1220 Al Bishop Drive in Marietta. The event begins at 10:00am and ends at 2:00pm. The 2011 Hunt will feature children’s art activities, live entertainment, inflatables, and concessions. The Easter Bunny will be on hand to delight the children and there will be contests, including the Mad Hatter Contest, Decorated Basket Contest and Sunday Best Fashion Show.  Another special highlight for the day will include Peter Pan and his friends appearing on stage for a brief performance immediately following the last egg hunts.

There will be five egg hunts which will be broken down into age groups. In each hunt, there will be prize eggs for which there will be special prizes. The schedule of events is as follows:

10:00am - Park opens
10:30am - 3 years & under hunt
11:00am - 4 & 5 years hunt
11:30am - Special Population’s hunt

12:00pm - 6 & 7 years hunt
12:30pm - 8-10 years hunt
1:00pm - Mad Hatter’s Contest

1:00pm - Easter Basket Contest

1:00pm - Youth Fashion Show - Sunday Best
2:00pm - Park closes

In addition, there will be an Adopt-a-Pet at the Cobb Animal Control located next door to The Safety Village. Admission for The Hunt is free. For more information please call (770) 528-8875.

Outstanding Volunteers Recognized by Board of Commissioners

At their meeting on March 22nd, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners recognized three volunteers for outstanding service in helping to provide quality leisure activities to our residents. The recipients include:

Cobb County Volunteer of the Year for Cultural Affairs Programs

Ann Cummings, South Cobb Arts Alliance

Cobb County Volunteer of the Year for Recreation Programs

Greg Hardin, East Cobb Football & Cheerleading

Jack Demarest “Lifetime Achievement Award”

Harold Brannen, East Marietta National Little League

These individuals symbolize the efforts of over 18,000 volunteers who support 80 recreation programs in the Cobb Park’s system. Congratulations to the award winners and thank you to all of the volunteers who work hard to make Cobb a better place to live.

Earl Scruggs Takes the Stage at Anderson Theatre

Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs will hit the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre stage at 8:00pm, Saturday, April 2nd, replacing the originally scheduled Brenda Lee. Ms. Lee had to cancel her performance due to health issues.

The banjo-picking Scruggs is noted for perfecting and popularizing a three-finger banjo-picking style - now known as Scruggs style - that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His playing style became popular in the Blue Grass Boys show. Scruggs built on earlier techniques to develop a readily identifiable style, evident in back-up and in solos such as “Foggy Mountain Special.” One of his most commercially known works is “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” for the television show The Beverly Hillbillies. Other honors include induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor, a National Heritage Fellowship award and multiple Grammy Awards.

Patrons who bought tickets for the Brenda Lee show may keep their tickets and present them for the Earl Scruggs concert to be seated in the same location. Refunds are available at the point of purchase and must be requested by April 2nd. The original ticket must be returned to receive a refund.

Cobb Gymnastics Center to Host First USA Gymnastics Special Olympics Championships
USA Gymnastics and Special Olympics have joined forces to host the first USA Gymnastics Special Olympics Championships, scheduled for May 7th at the Cobb County Gymnastics Center. The national event will feature competition in artistic gymnastics (men, women and unified), rhythmic gymnastics (individual, group and unified) and TeamGym.

“USA Gymnastics is proud to partner in organizing these championships for Special Olympics athletes," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “This event will give these athletes a chance to compete at the national level and be recognized for their hard work and achievements.”

The USA Gymnastics Special Olympics Championships is hosted locally by Chattooga Gymnastics, Special Olympics Georgia and Cobb County Special Olympics.

International Competition Coming to Pitner Road Aviation Field

The Cobb County Sports Aviation Field at Pitner Road Park will be hosting the very best in academics, as universities and colleges will renew the SAE Colligiate Aero Design competition April 30th - May 1st. With the sponsorship and guidance of Lockheed Martin, the Society of Aeronautical Engineers and in cooperation with the Cobb County Radio Control Club, this international event will draw up to 75 teams from eight countries and fifty academic institutions throughout the world.

The opportunity to share the excitement of the aspiring aeronautical engineering students, as well as their professors from Europe, Asia and South America and to see their innovative aero design fly, is an awesome experience. The time, effort and determination are evident on their faces and victory on an international stage is priceless.

Admission is FREE and concessions will be available. For additional information please contact Karl Durant, president of the CCRCC at (404) 993-6731.

Open House at The Wright Environmental Education Center 

Spring has sprung! Join us at the Jean and Elwood Wright Center to see the wonderful flowers the Wright's planted on their property. The open house will be on Saturday, April 2nd from 12:00pm-3:00pm. This event is free for everyone. Bring the family and experience the outdoors with our new 'Explorer Bags'. The bags may be checked out while exploring the trails. Bags are themed to help families identify plants and animals found on their exploration. The 'Mushroom Club of Georgia' will have a display and be available to answer questions. The park is located at 2661 Johnson Ferry Road. The parking lot is behind the property on Post Oak Tritt Road adjacent to Chestnut Ridge Church. For more information or directions contact Kaye Wilson at (770) 528-8824 or kaye.wilson@cobbcounty.org.

Numerous Summer Camp Options Available

There are plenty of summer camps avaiable to suit everyone's needs. Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs offers day camps, art camps, art performance camps, and tennis camps. In addition, there are many other camps offered by outside organizations in Cobb. The recent Camp Expo had a variety of camps represented, including ballet and dance camps, church camps, scout camps and more. For a complete listing of all the camps represented at the Camp Expo, you may download the list here (pdf file). For more information on Cobb County Parks camps, click here.

Cobblestone Featured in National Golf Magazine

Cobblestone Golf Course in Acworth was recently featured in the "Where We Play" section of Golf World magazine. Cobblestone has been one of the premiere public courses in the Southeast and the magazine said it was "worth the effort to get there." Opening in 1993, the course features seven holes that play along Lake Acworth. A renovation project was completed last fall, including all new Champion Bermuda greens, restored bunkers and enhanced lake views. Other accolades Cobblestone has received include a Four Star rating by Golf Digest, a spot on the "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" list by Golf Magazine and one of Golfweek's "2010 Best Municipal Courses." Cobblestone is located at 4200 Nance Road in Acworth. For more information, visit cobblestonegolf.com or call (770) 917-5152.

Spotlight on the Arts

'Spotlight on the Arts' is happening on Saturday, April 23rd from 11:00am - 2:00pm at The Art Station – Big Shanty. Free family fun with art activities for children ages 4 – 13, a gallery exhibit with art work from local elementary schools as well as performances from local middle and elementary schools and a guest performance from Lisa’s Dance Spot. Rain or shine! Call (770) 514-5930 for further information.

Volleyball Night at Ron Anderson Recreation Center

Come join us for Volleyball Night at Ron Anderson Recreation Center. We have an open gym for adults and teens who would like to come out and play volleyball. It is FREE to participate - just come on by. Volleyball night is every Wednesday night from 6:00pm-9:00pm. A great way to make some new friends, get some exercise and have some fun!!! For information, contact Lionel Garrett at (770) 439-3611.

Cobb Tennis League - Cobb's Tennis League for Everyone!!!!
The Cobb Tennis League is a tennis league where you compete against other players of similar ability.  Levels range from NTRP 2.0-5.0.  The 2.0 level is for very beginners - this is a great opportunity to try out your first tennis league.  You do not need to be part of a team - you register individually and you will be matched against other players at your level. This is a flex league where you play when it is convenient for you and you can play anywhere in Cobb County where there are tennis courts (parks, clubs, or subdivisions). There are two seasons each year - spring season and fall season.  The spring season begins April 25th. The Cobb Tennis League is a great way to to enjoy fun competition and to meet new people!  Registration for the spring league is currently in progress with an entry deadline of April 15th.  For more information and registration brochure, see the Cobb Tennis League web site.

Therapeutics Hosts Spring Formal

Join us at the historic Marlow House on Friday, April 15th from 6:30pm-10:00pm for an evening of hors d'oeuvres, dancing, socializing and having fun. Make sure you come dressed to impress! Professional photographs will be taken from 6:30pm-7:30pm by Sims Photography, so make sure you are there to have your picture taken. You may buy an extra ticket when registering yourself and bring your special someone. For more information or to register for this or any of our TRS programs contact us at: (770) 819-3215.

Special Olympics Game Day

The Marietta City Schools will host a Special Olympics Game Day on Friday, April 29th at the Marietta High School. Track and field events and bocce will be the two sports for competition.  The track and field events will include:  standing long jump, 50 and 100 meter dash, 4X100 meter relay, 25 and 50 meter walks, softball and tennis ball throws. The bocce events will include 2 and 4 member team matches.  Competition for these events will begin at 10:00 am.

Mable House Arts Offers Spring Break Camp

Spring Break Art Camp at the Mable House Arts Center is April 4th-8th from 9:00am-3:00pm. Each day will be filled with different projects of two and three dimensional multimedia and pottery. This will be a great way for your child to enjoy his/her school break. Wear old clothes as projects may be messy. Register early as space is limited. Students must bring their own lunch. We’ll see you then!!!
Fee: $90 (R) $115 (N) Supply Fee: $10

Horseshoe League Starting Soon at Larry Bell Park
The Cobb Area Horseshoe League is beginning play May 5th and meets every Thursday at 6:30pm, continuing through September. The league plays at Larry Bell Park, located at 592 Fairground Street in Marietta (courts are on Glover St. near Fairground). All skill levels are welcome and it is free to participate. For information regarding the horseshoe league, contact Dennis Hajek at (770) 992-8422 or dennyhajek@yahoo.com.