Parks and Recreation working to boost tourism

Special to Leader-Press

 

The City of Copperas Cove Parks and Recreation Department is listening to the community and those around it by amping up several events held throughout the year, as well as adding a few more to the calendar.

 

Current events that occur throughout the year such as the Fall Festival, Tree Lighting Ceremony, and the Polar Bear Swim are being made bigger with a focus on making them events in which the whole family will find value and want to participate. Additional events in creation for the upcoming year will include a Farmer’s Market and a Food Truck Festival.

 

The City has recently created a new position to add the most value to these events.

 

Sarah Rodriguez, the City’s first Tourism and Information Coordinator, recently stated, “We are approaching these events as fun, all age friendly events, where both families and individuals alike can all gain benefit from our events. We want to bring people together with each other and the community and give our citizens a better idea of what Copperas Cove has to offer.”

 

The most recent event, the Cove Fall-O-Ween Festival which was held on October 29, was a testament to the Parks and Recreation team’s efforts to bring bigger and better events to Copperas Cove and the surrounding communities. This year’s Fall-O-Ween Festival had approximately 5,000 people in attendance, up nearly 2,000 attendees from the previous year.

 

The festival offered a trick or treat aisle, food trucks, a petting zoo, a hay maze, hay rack rides, bounce houses, live music and more.

 

The Copperas Cove Tree Lighting Ceremony will be the next big event Parks and Recreation is planning for the community. Scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at City Park, the event will include a live nativity, food trucks, a large slide, a petting zoo, and a visit from Santa.

 

Any questions or concerns should be directed to Sarah Rodriguez, Tourism and Information

 

Coordinator, at srodriguez@copperascovetx.gov or (254)542-2719 ext. 6801.