Activities

The Recreation Department’s goal is to provide Lowell’s youth with no cost after-school, night and weekend and summer activities. It works with the Lowell Public Schools to offer after school activities at various public schools and provides movie tickets at reduced cost.

Shannon Community Initiative Grant funding is used to offer programming to at risk youth between the ages of 12 and 21.

The division also provides year-round, quality recreation opportunities including:

• Basketball
• Tennis
• Floor hockey
• Swimming
• Karate
• Baseball tournaments
• Lacrosse/soccer training
• Dancing
• Yoga
• Arts and crafts
• Lifeguard training programs

The Recreation Division also provides activities in support of the City’s special holiday events including:

• Monster Bash
• Winterfest
• Folk Festival
• City of Lights Parade
• KIDSWEEK
• Bike Rodeo
• National Night Out
• Healthy Summer Kickoff
• South East Asian Water Festival
• Labor Day Swim Race

Training

The Rec Division provides First Aid/CPR training to potential lifeguard candidates and ensures current certifications for aquatics staff.  Ninety-percent of our lifeguard staff is trained in-house.

In 2011, the Division trained 200 participants through free swim lessons, increasing aquatic safety. Personnel continue to look for ways to expand the City’s summer camp opportunities through partnerships with outside providers as well as in-house staff.
Lowell’s Recreation Division provides employment for teens, providing approximately 100 jobs per year for predominantly high school and college age individuals.

Pools/Beach

Recreation employees set up and staff the City’s pools and splash pads along with the Merrimack River beach area for the summer season. Each area is set up and monitored to assure that all meet specific codes, have proper handicap accessibility and are in proper operating condition in terms of water quality, equipment maintenance, etc.

Other Responsibilities

The Recreation Division issues, monitors and schedules approximately nine-thousand special event/recreation permits annually.

The Recreation staff identify potential sources of funding such as the Shannon Community Safety Initiative grant, United States Tennis Association equipment grant and the Youth Tennis Foundation grant to help support a variety of activities for our city’s youth.

The staff also works with non-profits to coordinate the Mayor’s Youth Commission and with CTI, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Project Food Bank, Project Bread and the Lowell Public Schools to provide thousands of free lunches daily over the summer to the youth of the city. They also provide support for the Manager’s Adopt and Island Program.

Contact Information

For Recreation and Special Events program information please call 978-674-4175
The Recreation Division is located at 375 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852