By Steve Plunkett
The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District turns 50 this year and will start celebrating the milestone this month.
On April 11, an archival display will open at Sugar Sand Park with coffee and cookies for visitors from 6 to 7 p.m.
Briann Harms, the district’s executive director, and publicist Chuck King explored the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum to find historical tidbits about the district.
“They have a lot of really, really cool stuff about our parks and the history of our parks,” Harms said.
On April 21, the district will host a barbecue lunch with free carousel rides starting at 11:30 a.m. at Sugar Sand, 300 S. Military Trail.
Harms gave a shout-out to the city’s recreational services staff for helping to pick and schedule the events.
“Obviously, they’re going to help run a lot of these events, which is why we picked the dates that they’re available and don’t have other events going on,” she said.
The archival display will move to the history museum in the Historic Town Hall, at 71 N. Federal Highway, on May 29.
For Parks and Recreation Month in July, the district will sponsor tree giveaways at various parks.
And every Sunday in September will have free rides on Sugar Sand’s carousel again. On Sept. 29, the park will offer celebratory cupcakes.
Harms said more events could be added later in the year.
The district was created by a special act of the state Legislature in 1974 as a funding mechanism for the city’s purchase of the land that would become Red Reef Park. During its first couple of decades, it was known as the Greater Boca Raton Beach Tax District.
The property taxes it collects cover all operations and capital improvements at Red Reef, which the city holds title to, plus the financial obligations of its own facilities: Sugar Sand, Patch Reef, Ocean Strand and North parks, and the Swim and Racquet Center. It also pays half the costs of beach renourishment projects and Boca Inlet dredging.
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