Marion Diehl Recreation Center, 2219 Tyvola Road, will host the 30th Annual Showcase of Woodcarvings on Feb. 16 and 17. The family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days and is free to attend.

The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department will honor the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., with a playground built by volunteers and inspired by children.

The dance is Saturday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., at Naomi Drenan Recreation Center.

The Nature Preserves and Natural Resources Division and MeckTeens are accepting pre-orders through March 29 for their 2nd annual plant sale benefiting youth outdoor programs.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s premier dog festival will have a new name in 2013 – The 2013 Bark in the Park Top Dog Festival presented by Purina® and Harris Teeter.

A community meeting to discuss phase III of the Morrison Family YMCA - Ballantyne Community Park is set for Feb. 25 at W. R. Davie Conference Center, 4635 Pineville-Matthews Road. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department will host the 2013 State Golden Gloves Open and Novice Boxing Championships at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9.

Youth, ages 7 - 18, are able to register for Park abd Rec's Disc Golf Leagues through March 15. The regular season begins April 6 and runs for eight weeks.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department invites girls, ages 6-11, to participate in a free Girls Softball Clinic at Revolution Park, 2425 Barringer Drive, Charlotte. The clinic is Feb. 9, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

St. Mary’s Chapel, a Mecklenburg County landmark, is undergoing structural and electrical repairs. The historic chapel has stood in its original location at 1129 E. Third St. in uptown Charlotte for nearly 120 years.

Sign-up your dog for this year’s Top Dog Photo Contest, part of the 2013 Bark in the Park Top Dog Festival presented by Purina® and Harris Teeter.

Park and Recreation will hold informational and operational meetings to provide updates on the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews. Phase 1 of the Sportsplex is under construction and is scheduled to open this summer.

The towns of Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville, the City of Charlotte, and Iredell and Mecklenburg counties will host a series of community meetings to inform the public about planning for the Mooresville to Charlotte Trail.

The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department will hold the 3rd Annual Hats Off to Parks Luncheon on Friday, May 10, 2013, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Freedom Park.

The Park and Recreation Greenway Advisory Council will hold a community meeting to provide information on Phase 2 of the Toby Creek Greenway on Monday, April 8, 2013, at 7:30 p.m., at Newell Presbyterian Church, 1500 Rocky River Road West in Charlotte.

All military veterans (including National Guard and Reserves) and active duty military personnel are invited to sign-up to play in the 8th annual Veterans & Reservists Golf Classic at Sunset Hills Golf Course, 800 Radio Road, on June 27, 2013.

The grand opening of Romare Bearden Park, originally scheduled for June 14 and 15, 2013, has been postponed until late August due to delays in project construction caused by unforeseen site conditions and prolonged bad weather.

Construction work on the two I-485 bridges that pass over Lower McAlpine Creek and McMullen Creek greenways will cause sections of both trails to close periodically over the next year.

The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners on May 7, 2013 approved an amendment to section 29 of the Park and Recreation Facilities Ordinance relating to the possession of handguns in certain facilities.

Park and Recreation is now taking registrations for the 16th annual “Rodney's Great Kids Triathlon” on Saturday May 18, 2013 at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center, 800 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Competition begins at 8:30 a.m.

Nature makes the best playground! After all, where else can you catch a fish, or build an awesome fort? Families and kids of all ages are invited to the 2nd annual Go Play Festival, Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Latta Plantation Nature Center.

The Park and Recreation Central Park Region Advisory Council will host a community meeting to solicit feedback on proposed improvements to Bryant Neighborhood Park, 1701 W. Morehead Street.

To celebrate the grand opening of Romare Bearden Park, Park and Recreation will hold a Youth Collage Art Competition to encourage youth, ages 1 to 18, to express their understanding of Romare Bearden’s legacy through the creation of collages.