Beth

Did you know that from I-40 Exit 111, you are just 1.5 hours from seven state parks and six state trails?!? This location is truly the Gateway to Western North Carolina. With NCDOT plans to rework the exit ramps, it…

A parks and recreation master plan is a comprehensive, long-range strategy for the creation, optimization, and maintenance of a community’s assets. It doesn’t focus on one particular park but instead offers a bird’s-eye view of a community’s parks and recreation…

The 2-mile Valdese Greenway has been designated as official Wilderness Gateway State Trail. Friends of the Valdese Rec completed the paperwork in September 2023 that was submitted to NC State Trails. From there the public had to be notified of…

In October, the Community Foundation of Burke County awarded FVR a $9327 grant to purchase 12 picnic tables (2 ADA) for the Open Green. FVR funds of $984.03 were used to cover the small overage for a price increase and shipping. The…

Saturday, October 21 was Great Trails State Day across NC as part of NC Year of the Trail 2023. We set a goal to collectively bike, hike, paddle 1000 miles at Valdese Lakeside Park during the day. We blew that…

Treasure hunting in Valdese?? You bet. Geocaches are hidden all around our parks (and town). Not sure what this Hike and Seek adventure is all about. You just need an app on your phone and a willingness to explore. Geocaching…

This long-awaited amenity on Lake Rhodhiss is now open for everyone to enjoy. Designed and built by North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC), the $200,000 pier was funded by an NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) Grant, NCWRC and…

Friends of the Valdese Rec’s fiscal year runs April 1 through March 31. We have created a report to celebrate and share our successes over the past year: If we have your mailing address, the  23 page Lasting Impressions Annual…

Friends of the Valdese Rec and Town of Valdese worked together to submit a technical assistance planning grant from Appalachian Regional Commission and the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The program is called “Creating Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE)” and the…

Thanks to a grant from Burke Youth Organized Philanthropists, 36 children (K-5) will learn the art of Plein Air Painting from a professional instructor at the kick off of the Valdese Plein Air Fest during Friends of the Valdese Rec’s…