Parks, Arts, Recreation & Culture

Overview

 
The Cornelius Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture (PARC) Department works to enhance the lives of citizens and visitors by providing great parks, natural areas and recreational experiences, from sports leagues and fitness classes to summer camps and art classes. Don't see what you like? Make a suggestion!  

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  View current and archived editions of our monthly e-newsletter.

What's Happening


SummerCamps2021 Registration is open for over 100 summer camps and many are sold out, but we have recently added more spaces to many of our offerings, including our full-day camps!  For nine weeks this summer, we are offering an awesome variety of full-day and half-day sports, arts and recreation camps. Read more and register! 
Outdoor Cinema Series Outdoor movies are back! Up next: The Secret Life of Pets 2 on Saturday, June 26, at Legion Park. Free and open to the public. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. with concessions available for purchase. Movie starts at dusk, approximately 8:30 p.m.
Stand Up Paddleboarding Want to learn how to Stand Up Paddleboard? Try our 90-minute intro classes offered at the Lake Norman Community Sailing Center on Saturday mornings, 9:30-11 a.m. Only $25 for Cornelius residents, $35 for non-residents. June 26, July 17 & 31, August 14, September 4 & 18. 
Park in the Dark Join the Parks & Recreation Department and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation for Park in the Dark at Robbins Park on Saturday, July 17, 8-10 p.m., to learn about the animals and insects that come out at night, focusing on our area’s diverse moth population. Bring your flashlight for a short nature walk! Space is limited for this free program and pre-registration is encouraged.
brushes Registration for the Summer B session of arts education classes at the Cornelius Arts Center opens at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 28, for Cornelius residents and at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30, for everyone.  Mark your calendar!
Fitness group View our list of Arts, Athletics, Fitness Classes & Recreation programs. Register now for the next sessions of our popular fitness classes. Also, check out our Walk with a Doc program, the first Saturday of every month - it's free!
Gift Certificate Looking for a unique gift for friends or family? A gift certificate from PARC is always the right size! Gift certificates can be used for classes or merchandise at the Cornelius Arts Center, full-day and partial-day summer camps, fitness classes & more. 
Facility Image We offer a variety of Parks, Recreation & Arts Centers, and Trails & Greenways for your enjoyment. Read more about renting a shelter, field or court. 
The 5th Annual Beyond Walls Public Art Exhibition is open at Robbins Park. This award-winning exhibit will be on display through January 31, 2020, and features 7 sculptures by 6 artists. Join us on Saturday, June 1, at 3:30 p.m. for and Artist Tour! The public is invited to cast a vote for their favorite sculpture through June 30, 2019 for the "People's Choice Award".  Enjoy!
The 5th Annual Beyond Walls Public Art Exhibition is open at Robbins Park. This award-winning exhibit will be on display through January 31, 2020, and features 7 sculptures by 6 artists. Join us on Saturday, June 1, at 3:30 p.m. for and Artist Tour! The public is invited to cast a vote for their favorite sculpture through June 30, 2019 for the "People's Choice Award".  Enjoy!
Registration for the Spring A session of adult art education classes is now open! We are happy to announce the return of watercolor classes at CAC, including the return of both adult beginner and intermediate-to-advanced painting! The 6-week-long sessions will begin the week of February 22.
Registration for the 
Registration for the 
Register NOW for Earth Jam 2021, Saturday, April 24, 5-7 p.m. at Robbins Park. Enjoy a free bluegrass concert by Carolina Divide. Concessions will be available for purchase. Registration is required regardless of age and is now open! Masks are required for this event.
Welcome Back!

As we welcome you back into our facilities & programs, we want you to know what we are doing to keep you safe.

We are: Following state & local guidelines | Limiting program sizes | Doing extra cleaning | Setting up to allow for social distancing | Offering hand sanitizer and/or handwashing in all facilities | Using a registration system for select programs

You can help by: Staying home if you are sick | Following signage | Washing your hands | Wearing a mask while indoors or when social distancing cannot be maintained | Registering for programs online @ cornelius.org/parc or over the phone @ 704-892-6031 x160