Insider staff
We can only imagine that at this very moment, you’re sitting in an air conditioned room with a fan blowing the cold air straight into your face.
Yep, summer is officially here, but as much as you’d like to, you can’t spend the next few months holed up in your house. You have to go outside at some point, no matter how amazing that crisp indoor air feels.
But it can be such a drag dealing with the heat and humidity that comes with summer in New Hampshire. Hey, at least it’s not snowing.
And we’ve got more good news: It won’t be long before you can take a nice refreshing dip in one of Concord’s seven public pools.
On June 18 (that’s a week from this Saturday), the city will open the gates for another summer of swimming. They always open the same day as Concord High School graduation and it just so happens to be the same weekend as Fathers Day. So if dear old dad is a water bug, we may have just given you the best gift idea ever.
“It’s the start of summer,” said Laura Bryant, recreation supervisor for Concord Parks & Recreation.
All seven of the pools, located at Garrison Park (31 Hutchins St.), Keach Park (2 Newton Ave.) Kimball Park (171 N. State St.) Merrill Park (25 Eastman St.) Rolfe Park (79 Community Drive), Rollins Park (33 Bow St.) and White Park (1 White St.), open next Saturday at 12:30 p.m. We can imagine what that mad dash will be like to be the first one in the pool for the summer.
The pools are open seven days a week through Aug. 12, when they close for the season, so you’ve got about eight weeks to get your swim on.
Each pool is open 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the weekends, but hours vary during the week depending on swim lessons and adult lap swim. But each one is open for free swim during the day and in the evening. And once again, swim lessons are free for Concord and Penacook residents, and time slots are still available, but are filling up fast.
Concord and Penacook residents can go to any of the city pools free of charge, while nonresidents can purchase a season’s pass for $113.
“You can buy one pass and go to any pool you’d like,” Bryant said.
We also must remind you that there’s no diving in the city pools, but you can still have plenty of fun without going head first into the water.
“Most of the pools are only 5 feet at the deepest,” Bryant said.
On June 20, there will be a middle school splash bash at Rollins Park, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and is for students in grades 6 to 8. Cost is $3 per person and includes music, contests and prizes.
There’a teddy bear picnic on July 13 at White Park, for 3 to 6 year olds from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and is also $3.
And if you feel like checking out some fierce competition between the neighborhood pool swim teams, there will be a swim meet on Aug. 5 at Rollins Park from 9 a.m. to noon.
So if you want to cool off this summer without racking up hundreds of dollars in electric bills, head down to one of the city pools. Just don’t forget your towel.
For more info on open swim times, check out the parks and rec page at concordnh.gov
