Camps are for kids age 5-13 during Summer Break. This year, the camps will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday June 1-25 and July 5-30. The camp is full of activities with field trips, swimming, arts and crafts, table top games and much more. Each kid is required to bring two snacks a day. We do a lot of running activities, so please wear suitable clothing, as well as tennis shoes.  Breakfast is provided if your child is here by 7:45am and lunch is provided as well. You will receive an email with protocols and monthly calendars a week before camp starts.

(If you aren't able to register your child online, we are offering an additional opportunity on Friday, April 16 at the Coach Howell Activity Center at 8 a.m.)

Join OPC Outdoors for a 6.5-mile paddle to explore Bear Creek as it flows through Tishomingo State Park on Saturday, May 29th.  

Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, this portion of Bear Creek offers the explorer a view of a rocky and hilly landscape that is unlike anything you'll find in other parts of Mississippi.

Items to bring:

-Water: Enough to last you several hours in the heat

-Sun protection (hat, sunscreen, etc. )

-A packed lunch (we will eat a shore lunch during the float)

-Snacks

-Towel

-Change of clothes (never know if you may take a spill)

Ages: Must be 18 years or older to rent a canoe. 

Date: Saturday, May 29th

Time: Caravan from the Coach Howell Activity Center (396 Price Street) parking lot at 7:00 am. Arrive back in Oxford around 5:00 pm. 

Cost: $50 per canoe (does not include the $3.00 service fee & credit card convenience fee)

Questions?: Contact Jared Barkley, Program Director, [email protected] 

Pollinators are essential to our environment. The ecological service they provide is necessary for the reproduction of over 85% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species. The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year in the U.S.

Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25% of all birds, and of mammals ranging from red-backed voles to grizzly bears. Unfortunately, in many places, the essential service of pollination is at risk from habitat loss, pesticide use, and introduced diseases.- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Join OPC Outdoors as we partner with the Army Corps of Engineers at Sardis Lake for a discussion and hike to identify trees and plants that help pollinators and how to incorporate planting them at home. 

Items to bring: a water bottle, closed-toed shoes, sun-protection, and bug spray

Ages: Youth and Adults

Date: Saturday, May 8

Time: 9:00am- 11:00am

Location: Sardis Lake (lower lake area)

Cost: $5 (does not include the $3.00 service fee & credit card convenience fee)

Class size: Maximum 15

Instructor: Ranger Shea Staten, US Army Corps of Engineers

Questions? Contact Jared Barkley, Program Director, at [email protected]

The objective of the class will be to introduce participants to the sport of wrestling and improve in a fun and exciting environment. Improve the individual's agility, strength, and self-confidence. Wrestling is a great way for your child to build character and learn self-defense. This program strives to build champions on and off the mat.

We will be focusing on folk-style wrestling.

Ages 4-8: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Ages 9-14: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Ages: Youth aged 4-14

Dates: Wednesdays, May 5th - June 30th

Times: See above

Location: Oxford Activity Center 400 Price Street

Cost: $25 (does not include the $3.00 service fee & credit card convenience fee)

Program Size: Minimum 4, Maximum 30

Head Instructor: Brandon Beckerdite

USA Wrestling certified coach, Mississippi Wrestling Foundation Board member, 20+ years of wrestling experience, Illinois state placer

To promote youth involvement in Track & Field, the membership of the Mississippi Recreation & Park Association is hosting a Local, District, and State Final Meet. 

The Oxford Local Meet will be Sunday, April 25th at the Oxford Track at Bobby Holcomb Field. There will be a skills clinic starting at 1:00pm and the meet will begin at 2:00pm. 

For youth 8 to 13 years old. $5 registration fee per participant. 

The top 3 places in each age group would advance to the District meet (June or July, Location TBD) and the District winners will advance to the State Final Meet (August or September, Location TBD).