What's Happening: Family fishing, Sunday Assembly, Family Invention Lab, water park day
JULY 16
FAMILY FISHING: Take the whole family out for a morning of fresh air during the UF/IFAS Family Fishing Day, held from 8 a.m. to noon July 16. All family members are encouraged to participate. The site offers a railed fishing deck with two handicapped-accessible ramps for use by everyone who loves fresh-water fishing. Loaner poles and bait will be available, but everyone is encouraged to bring their own equipment and bait. The event is catch-and-release only. Volunteers are on hand to help. Event organizers encourage folks with little or no fishing experience to attend — their volunteers enjoy showing novices the ropes. The fishing ponds are located at 7922 NW 71st St., and the fishing is free, though donations are welcome. For more information, visit sfrc.ufl.edu.
JULY 17
SUNDAY ASSEMBLY: Sunday Assembly Gainesville will feature guest speaker Tom Kay, a licensed Florida attorney who has worked as a litigator in civil, criminal and real estate matters. He serves as the chair of the Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation and previously served as president of the Alliance of Florida Land Trusts, the umbrella organization for the state's 22 land trusts. He is currently the executive director of the Alachua Conservation Trust. The title of his talk will be “Nature for All: The Case for Conserving Land in Uncertain Times.” Music will be provided by Sunday Assembly musicians. Sunday Assembly Gainesville is a secular congregation that celebrates life at 11 a.m. the third Sunday of each month. The group will meet at the Pride Center in the Liberty Center, 3131 NW 13th St. Vaccinations, boosters and face masks are recommended and encouraged. It also is possible to attend via zoom. Sunday Assembly Gainesville is a chapter of the Global Secular Sunday Assembly Movement. For more information, visit sagainesville.weebly.com or email SundayAssembly32601@gmail.com.
JULY 24
FAMILY INVENTION LAB: Learn basic coding and engineering lessons for the whole family at the Alachua County Library District’s new Family Invention Lab programs this summer. These programs are curated by the MakerSpace team to encourage discovery, experimentation and hands-on learning with beginner-friendly technology. Inventors from ages 5 to adults can learn how to write code and engineer contraptions with pocket-sized computers, STEM kits, building straws and more. The Family Invention Lab series starts at 2 p.m. Sunday in Meeting Room A at Headquarters Library, 401 E. University Ave. Additional Family Invention Lab programs will be held on the second and fourth Sundays in July and August. All programs are held at 2 p.m. in Meeting Room A. Programs are designed for children and their grown-ups to work together using science and engineering skills to become inventors. Children younger than 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Patrons should register online to save a seat at these programs. Register at least 12 hours before an event to guarantee admission. Check-in starts 15 minutes before a program’s start time. If registered attendees are not present five minutes before the start time, seats may be given away on a first-come, first-served basis. A library card is not required to register or attend any program. Learn more at aclib.us/invention. Each month’s Family Invention Lab is centered on a theme, challenging inventors to question their knowledge and create something new while learning together. July's theme is “Is It Conductive?” Electricity is the cornerstone of electronics and computing, learn to build a game with conductive materials. August's theme is “Storytelling with Color.” Color is a fantastic visual aid — test how you can use color to tell a story, mark a trail and give signals. The rest of the Family Invention Lab Schedule is: Aug. 14 and Aug. 28.
JULY 24
WATER PARK COMMUNITY DAY: Camp Kulaqua opens its River Ranch on specific days during the spring and summer at a discounted rate with no reservations required, and it will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July 24. The venue features a 15,000-square-foot wave pool as well as a lazy river, water slide and volleyball courts. The public is allowed to bring food and coolers, but no glass containers or alcoholic beverages are permitted in the water park. Camp Kulaqua requests that modest swimsuits be worn. The water park is located at 23400 NW 212th Ave. in High Springs. The discounted rate is $16 per person; free for children ages 3 and younger. Future community days include Aug. 7. For more information, visit kulaqua.com.
ONGOING THROUGH AUG. 10
FAMILY MOVIES: Get out of the heat and enjoy feel-good family movies for $2 each ticket during Regal Theaters’ Summer Movie Express series. The special series will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week during the summer through Aug. 10. This year’s participating theater is Regal Royal Park Stadium 16 at 3702 W. Newberry Road. Each week will feature two movies that will play both days beginning at 11 a.m. The schedule includes “Despicable Me 3” and “Tom and Jerry” on July 19-20, “Minions” and “Trolls World Tour” on July 26-27, “The Croods: A New Age” and “The Boss Baby: Family” on Aug. 2-3, and “Trolls” and “”How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” on Aug. 9-10. Times vary, visit the theater’s website for times and to purchase tickets online. For more information, visit bit.ly/regalsum21.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What's Happening: Fishing, Sunday Assembly, Family Invention Lab, more
