In honor of MacDonald’s achievement, join Dr. Marcella “Marcy” MacDonald Reception and Talk on Friday, October 7 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the Galleries at WorkSpace, 903 Main Street.

While the thermometer hasn’t necessarily backed up the facts, it is undeniable that the fall program season is right around the corner for Manchester’s Department of Leisure, Families, and Recreation.

Manchester has launched planning efforts for its 2023 Bicentennial Celebration. This year long celebration will consist of a variety of opportunities to remember the past, celebrate the present, and dream about the future. Festivities will include historical and educational programs, special events, and commemorative projects.

September 15th marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration in recognition of the contributions to society, and culture of the more than 62 million Americans who claim Hispanic heritage.

As the number of elementary schools in Manchester has been consolidated, the buildings that used to house them are in need of a new purpose.

Camp Kennedy will be returning this summer for its 57th year to provide fun and recreation for its campers. Held this year from August 8-12, the day camp caters to adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities and has for many years brought them a week of fun activities and opportunities to meet old and new friends.

Sarah Prager is a leader and advocate for queer history education, she is the author of three amazing educational books for young adults and children.

For the past few months, parents in Manchester and around the country have struggled to find formula to feed their infants. The recall of certain

Americans across the country are grieving the loss of life in the Uvalde, Texas shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, along with many others wounded.

The Spruce Street Farmers Markets will be returning this summer with even more dates to buy produce and goods from local farms and small businesses. Every Wednesday evening from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., join us at Market Field at 153 & 163 Spruce Street to enjoy time with friends and family while supporting the local community and Connecticut small businesses.

On June 18, Manchester will be hosting its second Juneteenth Freedom Day Commemoration at the Leisure Labs at the Mahoney Center.

The lure of a cool swimming pools calls to us on the long hot days of summer. Splashing with friends, swimming laps, or jumping off the diving board at Globe Hollow are memories many have of fun days spent at the public swimming pool.

On March 15, Equal Pay Day was observed in the United States, a day meant to raise awareness of the gap in pay between men and women in this country.

This April, Rebuilding Together Manchester is the celebrating 30 years of service to the Manchester Community with the 30 Days of Caring.

As the world deals with the continuing effects of the pandemic, rising food prices have added to already existing food insecurity here in Manchester and across the country.

Within the state of Connecticut, thousands of minors struggle with homelessness and housing instability every year.

Nominations for the Luminaries of Change 2022 inductee class have opened. To nominate a local pioneer, trailblazer or grassroots activist follow the link.

From the Community Y to Northwest Park, the Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center to Charter Oak Park, the Town of Manchester is filled with public parks & recreation centers for the entire community to enjoy.

Throughout the month of December, the Department of Leisure, Family, and Recreation will adhere to modified recreation center & office hours.

The opening day of registration for Winter-Spring programs and events is fast approaching. Beginning on December 8th, Manchester residents can sign up for a wide variety of activities offered by the Town of Manchester’s Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation.

With colder weather coming, there’s the temptation to stay inside your house, but the Town of Manchester’s Department of Leisure, Family, and Recreation has the solution.

On October 29, President Biden proclaimed November to be Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate Native American & Indigenous history and culture. Across the country, people will be celebrating the rich cultural heritage of one of America’s most marginalized communities.

Following the recent completion of the Town of Manchester’s new Parks and Facilities Master Plan, organizers are moving into the next phase of communicating the plan to Manchester residents.

The Master Plan outlines how to further develop future parks, trails, open space, and recreational areas so as to meet the needs of the community while also investing in the town’s economic and cultural value.

In 2018, the increasing need for inclusion and community engagement for marginalized members of the Manchester community sparked the beginnings of a new initiative that will finally come to fruition this fall.

As summer turns into fall, the Department of Leisure, Family, and Recreation has many exciting programs and events planned for the Manchester community.

It’s a Friday night and you’re looking for something to eat-where do you go? You’re building a birdhouse and need some more nails-where can you get them? You’ve washed a shirt too many times and need to buy a new one-who has you covered? The answer is surprisingly the same for all of these questions: your favorite local business.

After a successful Spruce Street Farmers Market season, the Northwest Park Farmers Market is set to kick off its inaugural season on Wednesday, August 18 from 4:30-7:30 PM.

On Wednesday, June 2, 2021, under a sunny early evening sky, about 50 people including lots of local dignitaries gathered on the lawn in front of Buckley Elementary School for a groundbreaking ceremony signaling the start of an approximately $28 million renovation project that will make Buckley the first ‘net zero energy’ public school building in the state.

Now embarking on its 56th year, Camp Kennedy is set to return to the Town of Manchester for the upcoming summer season.

The Department of Recreation, Leisure, and Families will be displaying a traveling exhibit on loan from the Connecticut Historical Society detailing the state’s long and often overlooked history of LGBTQ+ residents and the ongoing fight for equality.

As the hot weather arrives and the summer approaches, the pools begin to open. Manchester is no stranger to having an exciting and accessible pool program so everyone has the chance to cool down on the hot summer days. Read More!

From June 18-20, the Town of Manchester’s Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation, in collaboration with several community partners, will host the inaugural Juneteenth Freedom Day Commemoration. The weekend will include mural unveilings, an art opening, a black-owned food & vendor market, a three-on-three youth basketball tournament, family activities, live music and much more.

A new phase of murals will be installed at Mahoney Center, one of which will feature the Director of Equity and Adult Education at Manchester Adult and Continuing Ed., Dr. Diane Clare-Kearney.

There comes a time when you see where you are and you wonder how you got there.

As of April, around 40% of Connecticut’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, with a total of 2.5 million doses administered. This impressive number marks a hopeful turning point and many are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel of this unprecedented past year. Surviving such a difficult year and reaching this point is cause for all of us to reflect on just how far we’ve come.