With ample opportunities for community members 50 years of age and better, the schedule for Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts includes six weeks of competitions, demonstrations, and fellowship to exercise the mind and body. The event is one of 53 officially-sanctioned local participants in North Carolina Senior Games, the largest senior Olympic program in the nation.
Select categories will preview during Celebrate Seniors Week from March 28-April 1. Senior Games and SilverArts competitions take place from April 4-May 14 at locations throughout Buncombe County with all events welcoming spectators. There is no fee to participate and online registration is open through April 1 at ncseniorgames.org.
“Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts,” according to Colt Miller, Asheville Parks & Recreation Athletics Coordinator. “As people live longer and more actively, it’s great to see so many participants in their prime show off skills. At the core, the games and arts celebrate the creativity, dedication, and pride of older adults in our community.”
Sports include bowling, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, putt-putt, cycling, track and field, archery, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, basketball shooting, racquetball, shuffleboard, mini golf, tennis, and table tennis. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals. SilverArts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), Contemporary, and Cheerleading. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Public Libraries.
Highlights include:
- Celebrate Seniors Week
- March 28, 10 a.m.-noon: Softball and football toss at Montford Park baseball field
- March 29, 3-5 p.m.: Pickleball at Murphy-Oakley Park
- March 30, 10 a.m.-noon: Crafts at Senior Opportunity Community Center
- March 31, 3-5 p.m.: Track and field at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
- April 1, 10 a.m.-noon: Shuffleboard at Harvest House Community Center
- Opening Ceremonies: April 7 at 3 p.m. at Murphy-Oakley Community Center
- Swimming and Aquatics: April 23 at Buncombe County Schools Aquatic Center
- Track and Field: April 30 at Asheville High School
- Pickleball: May 7 at Murphy-Oakley Park
Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and SilverArts is a partnership between Asheville Parks & Recreation and Asheville City Schools, Black Mountain Parks & Recreation, Buncombe County Schools, Buncombe County Public Libraries, Buncombe County Recreation Services, Humana, and YMCA of Western North Carolina.
About Asheville Parks & Recreation
Established in 1954, the Asheville Parks & Recreation Department manages a unique collection of more than 55 public parks, playgrounds, and open spaces throughout the city in a system that also includes full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, Riverside Cemetery, sports fields and courts, and community centers that offer a variety of wellness-, education-, and culture-related programs for Ashevillians of all ages. With 8 miles of paved greenways and numerous natural surface trails, its complete portfolio acts as the foundation of a vibrant hub for the people of Asheville to connect with their neighbors and explore the natural beauty of a livable and walkable city.
Driven by the promise that Asheville is a better and safer place when everyone from infants to retirees has the opportunity to be supported, healthy, and successful, Asheville Parks & Recreation was the first nationally-accredited municipal recreation department in the United States. For more information, visit www.ashevillenc.gov/parks.