What's Happening: Memorial Mile, water park community day, Summer at the Library, more

MAY 30

MEMORIAL MILE: Since 2007, the Gainesville chapter of Veterans for Peace has mounted a major Memorial Day display of tombstones for each American troop killed because of the U.S. wars on Afghanistan and Iraq. Now that the U.S. military has withdrawn from both nations, and — so far as we know — has ceased attacking them with missiles and bombs as well, the chapter will no longer mount the display. Still, the dead deserve remembering, and the ending of the display, which required the work of more than 100 volunteers to set up, has left a gap in Gainesville's traditions of memorializing the horrors of war. To meet these needs, Gainesville VFP will host an information table from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Memorial Day, May 30, at the corner of Northwest Eighth Avenue and Northwest 31st Street. Organizers will have the memorial directory books listing the names and service information of the nearly 8,000 American troops who died in those wars, samples of the remembrances left by their loved ones, and banners and signs listing the updated costs of war. Gainesville Vets for Peace invites the community to visit them at Memorial Mile and join them in remembering some of those, including service members and civilian casualties, who lost their lives in the U.S. never-ending wars. For more information, visit vfpgainesville.org.

MAY 30

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. May 30. 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 July 3, July 10, July 24 and Aug. 7. For more information, visit kulaqua.com.

ONGOING THROUGH JULY 31

SUMMER AT THE LIBRARY: Dive into Summer at the Library: Oceans of Possibilities with the Alachua County Library District through July 31 with programs for all ages and opportunities to win prizes all summer. Participants will receive a free tote bag with a book upon registering while supplies last. Sign up and track your reading and summer fun using our Beanstack website or app for chances to win a tablet from PDQ Restaurant and weekly pizza prizes from Five Star Pizza. Register and kick off the summer at Reader Palooza from 10 a.m.-noon June 4 at Depot Park. After you sign up for Summer at the Library and receive your tote bag, play games with community partners including Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, Fun 4 Gator Kids, the Harn Museum of Art, Giggle Magazine and more. If you can’t make it to Reader Palooza, register online at aclib.us/summer or any library branch. All 12 library locations will hold special programs throughout the summer for kids, teens and adults, including art classes, STEM activities, craft lessons and story times. Registration is required for some programs; visit aclib.us/events to sign up. Summer highlights include “Oceans Down Under” at 3 p.m. May 28 live on Zoom and Facebook. This live-streamed event for all ages will take us on a journey to the Great Barrier Reef to meet Australian sea creatures and dance to the rhythms of the didgeridoo. “Ocean Tales” will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesdays in June and July, live on Zoom and Facebook. Meet marine animal friends, including manatees, sea turtles and dolphins from Florida zoos, museums and aquariums. In “Battle of the Books,” teens can register and receive three free books for this annual trivia competition. Patrons ages 11 to 17 can sign up now and select which library branch team they’d like to compete with during the “Battle of the Books” at 2 p.m. July 23 on Zoom. Visit aclib.us/summer for the full schedule of programs and reading lists for all ages, including 2022 Summer Picks for elementary and secondary school readers created by the Alachua County Library District and Alachua County Public Schools. All Summer at the Library programs are free and open to everyone.

ONGOING THROUGH AUGUST

“UNAPOLOGETIC!”: The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center is featuring artistic works by Gainesville artist Yvonne Ferguson. The show is entitled “Unapologetic!” and features images of cultural and human rights icons as well as notable and groundbreaking musicians. Describing her subject matter, Ferguson said, “My creative passion is fueled by the people of the African Diaspora. I love the culture, creativity and fortitude of its people. I am inspired by our ceaseless adaptability and how the essence of our being always creates something out of anything.” Ferguson displays her work through her online gallery, Diasporic Pigments. Visit the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center at 837 SE Seventh Ave. This exhibit will run through August 2022. Admission is free. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and by appointment for schools and other groups. Call 226-8321 or email info@cottonclubmuseum.com for more information. All safety recommendations are being followed with masks required inside. Hand sanitizers and purified air will make the exhibit both safe and enjoyable.

ONGOING

FEED THE HORSES: Enjoy the Florida weather as you take in 335 acres of nature and feed the horses and donkeys of Mill Creek Farm Retirement Home for Horses. The farm, a nonprofit that was established in 1983, has been home to hundreds of horses who endured abuse, starvation and neglect. The sanctuary provides lifelong care for these horses as well as retired police and military equines. Entrance to the farm is free; they ask that you bring carrots, apple slices and/or bananas to share with the animals. It is open to the public Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about the farm, or to find out how you can help the nonprofit, visit millcreekfarm.org.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What's Happening: Memorial Mile, water park day, Summer at the Library