There's no reason to be bored in Burnaby this summer. There are tons of free, family friendly events in the coming weeks.
There are three Burnaby pools where kids can swim for free on Fridays.
The outdoor pool at Robert Burnaby Park is letting kids (in grades 6 to 10) in for free on Fridays from 8 to 10 p.m. until Aug. 17. (They also have music, snacks and refreshments.)
There's also "Moonlight Madness" at McPherson outdoor pool at 5485 Rumble St., close to Burnaby South Secondary. Youth aged 12 to 16 get in free on Fridays, from 8: 30 to 10: 30 p.m. until Aug. 24, and there are snacks and music.
Teens aged 13 to 18 can swing by Kensington outdoor pool for a free Friday night dip between 7: 30 and 9: 30 p.m. on July 27, Aug. 20 and 24. The Burnaby North Community Association is selling barbecued hotdogs and pop there for $1. Those swims run rain or shine.
For more information on swim nights and other City of Burnaby activities, go to burnaby.ca/active.
Family picnic
Keep your evening free on Wednesday, Aug. 1 for the Wesburn Family Picnic.
The event runs from 5: 30 to 7: 30 p.m., rain or shine, in Wesburn Park at Moscrop Street and Patterson Avenue.
The annual picnic has been going strong for roughly two decades and usually draws 400 people, mostly families from the neighbourhood.
There will be at least three craft stations, a wading pool and hotdogs.
Burnaby Summer Theatre perform a play for the kids. The Wesburn Wranglers (a square-dancing group for children and youth) will perform, and there will also be a karate demonstration.
Miss Teen Burnaby will be there with a booth on the importance of organ donation. Local social service agencies and businesses will have information booths set up.
For more information, call 604-297-4572.
Art in the Park
The City of Burnaby is running a free all-ages outdoor art program where people can practise their drawing skills under the guidance of a guest artist.
The Art in the Park events feature Elora Penland, a Vancouver artist and city employee, offering some instruction for workshops in various local parks.
The next art sessions are on Wednesday, Aug. 1 in Ron McLean Park, from 1 to 2: 15 p.m. and in Taylor Park, from 2: 45 to 4 p.m.
These events are weather dependent, so keep an eye on the forecast if you are planning on attending.
The city has held summer arts programs before, but this year, the activities are more participatory.
"Instead of performance-based, we're trying to make it more handson," said program coordinator Shelley Twist.
Twist also mentioned a similar event on Tuesday nights, from 7 to 8: 30 p.m. at Civic Square, just outside of Burnaby's Metrotown library branch.
There will be a guest artist working on a collaborative piece for display in the library, and the public is invited to contribute.
Those sessions run every Tuesday night until Aug. 14.
For more information on either initiatives, call Twist at 604-297-4532.
Free Zumba
I have one more free, fun thing to mention: Zumba in the Park on Tuesday, July 31. Zumba is a cross between Latin dancing and aerobic
exercise. (I'd never heard of it till I was at the Multicultural Festival at Bonsor, and the seniors' Zumba class was performing on stage. It's pretty lively and funky and probably works well for people who find regular exercise boring.)
The class is from 1: 30 to 2: 15 p.m. in Confederation Park on Penzance Drive.
Bring some water and sunscreen. Anyone can join, but it's weather permitting.
Do you know of a fun, local low-cost or no cost event this summer? Send details to jmoreau@ burnabynow.com.
