My Hometown Summer Activities

continued from page 15 on July 9. Each week, a different food truck will be on-site serving up dinner while you enjoy the music. All concerts are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. Se the schedule at https://gatesrecparks. org/Docs/flyer2.pdf. If the weather does not cooperate, concerts will be moved inside the Town Hall. On August 27, performances will take place at Gates Memorial Park – and there will be two bands, starting at 4 p.m.

•On Wednesday nights from July 5 to August 9, Riga Recreation’s Summer Gazebo Concert Series takes place at the Churchville Village Gazebo. Performances start at 6:30 p.m. and run rain or shine. The August 2 concert has a special start time of 7 p.m. and includes The Relay For Life/Luminaria ceremony. View the series schedule at https://www.townofriga.com/recreation/.

•The Town of Henrietta’s Summer Concert Series takes place at the Henry Hansen Amphitheater in Veterans Memorial Park. Shows start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday nights from July 14 to August 18 and are free to the public. The list of bands and accompanying food trucks is available at https://henriettany.myrec.com/ forms/5964_bookmark_for_web.pdf.

4. Learn Something New

•The Monroe County Library System offers Empire Passes for New York State Parks. At participating libraries (https://libraryweb.org/using_the_library/empire-passes-for-state-parks/), you can check out the pass – just like a library book – and receive free admission at hundreds of New York State Parks (https://parks.

ny.gov/documents/admission/EmpirePassCardGuidelines.pdf).

After you’ve had a great day hiking, biking, swimming, fishing and more, return the pass to the library.

•Like the Empire Pass, the Monroe County Library System has a Very Important Places (V.I.P.) pass, granting you a substantial discount on admission to art and cultural attractions around Monroe County and beyond. An online chart indicates which passes are available at each library (https://libraryweb.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/07/2022-23-MCLS_VIP-Pass-FINALsm. pdf).

•Have a green thumb? The Chili Public Library recently launched a Seed Library, with help from a generous donation from the Chili Lions Club. You can “borrow” a variety of flower and vegetable seeds at no cost. To keep the seed library blooming for years to come, community members are encouraged to donate seeds back to the library after harvest.

•Area libraries, community centers and recreation departments have a variety of events and programming all summer long. Check what’s available to you and try something new!

5. Try Your Hand at the Trendiest Sport: Pickleball

•The Chili Community Center has pickleball programming for a variety of ages and skill levels. Bring your own equipment or borrow some from the front desk. Beginner Open Pickleball is for all ages of beginners to play at the recreation level and Family Pickleball is open to kids in a pick-up format. There’s also College & High School Pickleball and Women’s Pickleball.

•Drop-in pickleball programming is available at the Ogden Community Center. There are different days and times based on your rating (recreation play vs. advanced play), so be sure to check the schedule ahead of time at https://ogdenny.myrec.com/info/ activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29990. All players must have an account with Ogden Parks and Recreation and sign in on entry. The cost is $2 for residents and $3 for non-residents, with punch cards available for multiple visits.

•Run by the Town of Riga’s Recreation Department, the Pickleball Complex at Richard McNeely Park has two dedicated, outdoor courts with permanent lines and nets. The courts are free to use and include an honor equipment box for players to test out gear.

•Churchville Park has two pickleball courts and two multipurpose courts with permanent lines and nets.