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When you build a new <br />facility, you do so with the <br />intent that the public will <br />come. What did it take to get <br />people to our parks in 1982 <br />and what does it take now, <br />33 years later? <br />Frank Liske Park opened in June of 1982. The first years of use saw <br />low attendance numbers, with just more than 125,000 visitors in <br />a year. That's when the County began to form leagues for the top <br />sports of the time, including softball, baseball and volleyball. Not <br />only did this provide opportunities for locals to compete, but it also <br />brought people into our parks. We added special events, beginning <br />with Super Days, where we celebrated the beauty of Carolina sum- <br />mers with road races, vendors, arts and crafts, bands and local talent. <br />We followed that with the very successful Mud Race. In the fall, we <br />brought visitors back with the Haunted Farm, which was a big hit. <br />Attendance grew to more than 4,000 folks at each of the events. <br />Then came our big winter event, Holiday Highlights. Frank Liske <br />was turned into a drive- through exhibition with luminaries, trees <br />lighted, a live nativity scene, music, tethered hot air balloons, horse <br />and buggy rides and, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Claus. <br />The Barn at Franke Liske Park, then <br />and now (top), and a barbershop quartet <br />performing at Super Day (bottom). <br />These events were big and they were challenging, but they intro- <br />duced so many more residents to our facilities. Now, our parks draw <br />people in for their unique attractions, like the swimming pool, new <br />playgrounds, disc golf courses, nature playground areas, paddleboats, <br />canoes and environmental education programming. On most spring <br />weekends and any day of the week in summer and fall, our visitors <br />make reservations well in advance for our highly requested picnic <br />shelters, the barn, cabins and tent sites. Visitors enjoy passive activi- <br />ties, like walking trails, and use them heavily every day, year round. <br />Instead of providing structured programming, the department facili- <br />tates stays and provides amenities for visitors. Combining attendance <br />at our three parks, Frank Liske, Camp T.N. Spencer and Vietnam <br />Veterans, we now host more than 800,000 attendees each year. <br />Attachment number 1 \n <br />1 -1 Page 385 <br />