FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff’s Parks and Recreation Department received two Awards of Excellence this year from the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA): one for the Children’s Music and Arts Festival event and the second for the Chillin’ in the Pines Hockey Tournament.
The awards will be presented on July 25 in conjunction with ARPA’s annual conference. Children’s Music and Arts Festival won the 2018 Outstanding Program Award for a Cultural Awareness Program, population size 25,001-100,000. Chillin’ in the Pines Hockey Tournament won the 2018 Outstanding Program Award for a Sports Program, population size 25,001-100,000.
“We are very appreciative of APRA’s recognition of the great programs and events we provide in Flagstaff,” said Parks and Recreation Director, Rebecca Sayers. “It is important to us to provide fun-filled and exciting events for everyone to enjoy, and being recognized at the State level reaffirms that what we are doing is exceptional.”
Children’s Music and Arts Festival is held the third Saturday in August, each year. The festival is a family-friendly event created to celebrate the artistic potential of all youth in the community. In addition to dance and music performances, children can make recycled art projects, participate in an instrument petting zoo, make their own musical instrument, and learn to paint, draw, and create sculptures. Chillin’ in the Pines Hockey Tournament is held the first week in May at Jay Lively Activity Center. The second-year event exceeded the City’s expectations for capacity and continues to grow. The tournament is unique in that it is the only tournament hosted by a municipality in the state of Arizona. Interest in the tournament has come from as far away as Las Vegas and California. Nearly 200 players participated across all skill levels and gained tournament experience they may not otherwise have been able to achieve.