When I told Brittany Spencer, Farragut’s special event and program coordinator, that I wanted to interview her for a story about events in Farragut, she said she was free to talk after she picked up 20 dozen worms. That’s the kind of thing she does the day before the Bob Watt Youth Fishing Rodeo.
As you can imagine, Brittany’s job has been a special challenge during the past year. Most events were canceled, and the ones that weren’t had to be reworked to make them safe. That meant painting lines around the water at Anchor Park to socially distance families at the fishing rodeo and moving Freaky Friday Fright Night to Jamestown Blvd. so families could collect candy without leaving their cars. (Turns out many parents prefer this to trick-or-treating in the rain!) It meant an elaborate walk-through volunteer banquet with a Wizard of Oz theme, and scheduling vendors for most nights of Light the Park instead of for one large kick-off event.
It also meant the addition of crazy, creative activities for families to do on their own, like a holiday decorating competition, Hide & Seek with the Admiral in Farragut parks and Grab & Go crafts for kids. Helping the community have fun is what makes Brittany tick. I’ve seen her joyfully make snowflakes out of coat hangers, build a replica of the McFee Park Splash Pad with candy and a glue gun, and throw together clever social media contests with Parks & Rec swag for prizes.
In spite of the fun, it’s been a hard year.
“Covid was a very strange time. It felt counter-intuitive to try to get people to come together to take classes or attend an event when the whole world was being encouraged to stay home and stay apart,” she says. “It really enforced the importance of community and how much we all need each other to have healthy, fulfilling lives.”
It was especially hard to shut down the Farragut Community Center just days after it opened in March 2020. Activity is now picking up as people return to exercise classes and take advantage of Open Gym. Brittany feels like the Parks & Rec Department is finally able to offer the variety of programming that she imagined when the building first opened.
“It’s encouraging and fulfilling to have people back in the community center. It is so, so happy to hear basketballs in the gym while a class is happening in the classroom and a meeting is underway in the Assembly Hall.”
She’s excited for an upcoming event – the Farragut Art Show. Artists are invited to submit two-dimensional entries to this juried event for a chance at cash prizes. First ($200), second ($125) and third ($75) prizes will be given in each of five categories, and one artist will walk away with Best in Show ($125). The public is invited to enjoy the artwork from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, and from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, June 27, in the Assembly Hall at the community center (239 Jamestowne Blvd.). Admission to the event is free.
The Farragut Independence Day Parade is Saturday, July 3. It begins at 9:30 a.m. We look forward to seeing the community come together!
Town of Farragut marketing and public relations coordinator Wendy Smith is your reliable Farragut insider.