Registration for Bend Winter Programs Opens Next Week

Registration for Bend Park & Recreation District’s winter programs and sports leagues will open on Dec. 9, Dec. 10 and Dec. 11. Starting at 6am each day, registration will open for various programs held from January through March.

Registration for recreation, enrichment and sports programs starts on Dec. 9, followed by swim lessons and aquatic programs on Dec. 10. Registration for sports leagues, including adult curling, adult and youth hockey, youth indoor soccer, youth lacrosse and youth softball leagues, opens on Dec. 11.

According to Julie Brown, community engagement director with BPRD, winter programs in Bend have seen growing interest in recent years. Programs at The Pavilion, like hockey and learn-to-skate programs, have grown in popularity, said Brown, filling up quicker than others.

Scholarships for these programs are also available to those who qualify. BPRD has offered its scholarship program for several years, helping to break down barriers to participation. According to Brown, 2,000 households received financial support to participate in programs last year, adding up to about $720,000 in scholarships.

With temporary closures at La Pine Park & Recreation District, Brown doesn’t expect a large increase in registration, as there’s always been some representation from out-of-district participation in its programs. However, Brown did note that some sports teams have shown interest in participating in BPRD programs.

“We’ve done everything we could to try to accommodate and add some of those teams, but hopefully this is just going to be a temporary situation,” she said.

Brown encourages people to join waitlists if a program is full, as BPRD regularly has openings in many of its programs. Those interested in registering can do so online or in person at various locations including the district office, Juniper Swim and Fitness Center or Larkspur Community Center.

This article appears in The Source Weekly December 5, 2024.