Finding ways to put the community first is one of the main missions of the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation team; that style requires them to be flexible, stay communicative and plan for some fun in everything that they do.
“Community” is a big part of what happens in parks and recreation daily such as maintaining the facilities like Sports*Com, Patterson Park Community Center and the St. Clair Senior Center to running the programs out at the Wilderness Station and through Cultural Arts and certainly to providing large community events.
Creating authentic, family-style community events is something the city's parks and recreation staff enjoy doing, and a task they put a lot of emphasis on to ensure it’s done just right. Some of the big community events the staff coordinates include the New Year’s Day 5K, Special Olympics, Celebration Under the Stars, Greenway Art Festival, Barfield Bash and the Christmas Parade.
According to Thomas Laird, P/R assistant director, the city’s Barfield Bash has become so much more than a Halloween event. "It’s a community tradition. Every year, hundreds of families enjoy a safe, affordable evening of fun. It’s incredible to see our staff, volunteers and local organizations come together to create amazing memories. That’s what community is all about.”
The Barfield Bash has been happening for 25-plus years. The staff has seen it grow, change and develop into what it is today: a large carnival that spans over two days with games and prizes, costume contests, cake walks, music, food and a scary, haunted hayride, along with a not-so-haunted hayride. It’s an event that requires all-hands on deck from every area across the department. Each year a team meets together starting in June and works on how they can make the event even better for the community. Last year, the staff added more community partners and organized an “Avenue of Treats” where carnival guests were greeted by local community organizations that decorated their tents and handed out candy or treats to the children.
One of the biggest events that happens in the community is the Murfreesboro Christmas Parade. Every year a theme is chosen and announced, a Grand Marshal is selected, and the registration is opened for hundreds of local organizations, churches and schools to come together to officially kick off the season as a community styled in one of the sweetest hometown traditions. The streets will be filled with people waiting to enjoy the beautiful floats, bands and dance teams traveling the parade route through Murfreesboro’s historic downtown square.
The community also gets to partake in festivals such as the Greenway Art Festival, the Special Olympics that hosts more than 900 special athletes, and a New Year’s Day 5K that not only invites runners as a sanctioned timed event, but walkers, strollers and pets are included, too.
Rachel Singer, P/R assistant director, sums it up by sharing, “Every event we plan, whether it's the Christmas parade, the Fourth of July celebration, or any of our community gatherings, starts with one question: 'What's best for our community?' Our goal is to create experiences that bring people together, celebrate our hometown and make lasting memories for families. We work hard to listen, collaborate and serve our community in the best way we can because these events are truly for the people who call this place home.”
- Greenway Art Festival, Sept. 19
- Barfield Bash, Oct. 23-24
- Christmas Parade, Dec. 13
- New Year’s Day 5K, Jan. 1, 2027