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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…

View the full Economic Impact Report here Highlights of the report……. What does Valdese Lakeside Park bring to Valdese in visitor and resident spending? Does the park save residents money? Do visitors really stop in town to eat? These are…

Friends of the Valdese Rec (FVR) held an NC Year of the Trail grand opening group walk on Sunday, April 16 to celebrate the completion of the Valdese Greenway. The entire 2-mile greenway is now crushed cinder for an easier…

Just in time for Read Across America Day, and to celebrate NC Year of the Trail, Friends of the Valdese Rec held the ribbon cutting for their new Story Book Trail at Valdese Lakeside Park. The home school community was…