Students from Cooleemee Elementary School enjoy the upgrades at Cooleemee Park.
With a new playset and fresh mulch, Cooleemee Park is getting a facelift. The playset, purchased with a grant from Davie County Recreation & Parks, replaces an outdated wooden structure and features a slide, bridge, swings, and a climbing section.
“We hope that all the kids really enjoy this new playset,” said Town Clerk Aaron Thies, thanking Recreation & Parks for the grant that made it possible. He also expressed his gratitude to Hendrix Manufacturing of Woodleaf for donating the mulch, which has beautified the park, and Willard’s Grading for fixing the driveway, grading, and spreading the mulch.
Stay Tuned for More!
Thies said there are more additions coming this year. The town has purchased two playsets for the little tots, which should be installed in the next few months. The Town will also redo the swingsets this spring.
“We want to make sure we offer something for every age group and that the park is welcoming to all.” He plans to seek additional grant funding to continue updating the park and replace outdated equipment.
On Monday, December 19th the Town of Cooleemee Commissioners made the difficult decision by unanimous vote to dissolve the Cooleemee Police Department and to enter into a 2 ½ year contract with the Davie County Sheriff’s Department to provide all law enforcement services. The contract will go into effect by January 1, 2023.
Commissioner Chris Almond stated, “This was a tough decision to make, but it’s the best option we have with the chief leaving at the end of the month. Currently, the police department is only made up of a part-time chief and 3 part-time officers giving the town roughly 60 hours of coverage in a two-week period. Contracting with the sheriff’s department will provide the town with more coverage on a weekly basis. With the ongoing decrease in revenue the town receives, the town doesn’t have the funds to bring the department back to where it needs to be to provide safety for the residents of Cooleemee.”
What is small, yellow, and races? If you said a rubber ducky floating down the South Yadkin River, you would be correct! Great Bullhole Duck Race organizers hope that 1500 of them will plunge into the South Yadkin near the Cooleemee dam on Saturday, August 6th at 1:00 p.m. sharp.
The first numbered duck to reach the finish line downriver will win its “owner” a cash prize of $250. The 2nd place winner will garner its ticket-buyer $100, and the 3rd place bettor will win $50. That’s something to quack about!
A Fun Family Outing at RiverPark
This year’s Great Bullhole Duck Race, which runs from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m, marks the 12th anniversary of the RiverPark at Cooleemee Falls’s annual summer fundraiser. Proceeds from the race support the ongoing operations of the park, aka The Bullhole, to ensure the park is clean and safe for visitors to enjoy. The board and staff are excited about the opportunity to showcase some of the recent improvements at the park, including a complete renovation of the bathrooms, a new entrance sign, and a gatehouse.
Trails, Swimming And Cheers!
“A day at RiverPark is a great family outing for all ages,” said RiverPark President Paul Moore. “Patrons can swim in the Yadkin, hike along trails, or relax by the shores. Picnic shelters are also available for patrons to enjoy. We hope everyone will come out and cheer on the ducks and experience all the natural beauty the park has to offer.”
Wheely Good Food Truck will have a variety of mouth-watering grilled sandwiches, fries, and other tasty sides, and TasteTations by Tan will offer ice-cold Italian ice.
Adopt a Duck for Only $5 – Get Your Tickets Today!
There’s only one way to win those cash prizes in the Duck Race; You have to buy a ticket. Duck tickets are $5 each, a “quack pack” of 5 for $20, a “firequacker” of 10 for $40, and a ”flock” of 25 for $100. Everyone is encouraged to buy their tickets in advance. You can purchase them at the RiverPark gate, Cooleemee Town Hall, Davie County Chamber of Commerce, and Davie County Community Park. You do not have to be present to win, but you must show your numbered ticket stub to collect your prize.
More Race Information
Duck tickets will also be sold until 12:40 p.m. at RiverPark. The Duck Race Begins 1 P.M. Sharp!
RiverPark is located at the end of Erwin Temple Church Road (just ½ mile from Cooleemee off Hwy 801 & Needmore Road).
If you love the Bullhole and want to see it remain open, clean, and safe, show your support and purchase a duck today! You can find more information about this event at the RiverPark Facebook page!
The Town of Cooleemee Independence Day celebration is Monday, July 4th 2022 and includes a parade, a Slip-n-Slide for the kids and free watermelon and ice pops.
Parade Information
The parade start time is 10:00 a.m. at Cooleemee Elementary School. The parade will end at Zachary House / Town Hall.
To be in the parade just come to the school around 9:00 a.m. to get lined up accordingly.
After the parade, stick around for more fun including:
Hot dogs and drinks for sale
Free watermelon and ice pops
Slip and slide for all ages to enjoy till 12:00 p.m.
If you have any questions about the parade or celebration activities, please contact town hall @336-284-2141 or email athies@cooleemee.org.
Friday, June 10, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the recreation department will be setting up games at Zachary House, 131 Church Street, Cooleemee, NC 27014.
On Saturday, October 30th, Cooleemee’s annual Fall Festival was sponsored by First Baptist Church, Edgewood Baptist, Heritage Hardware Store, TLC Grooming and Davie Discount Drug.
The aroma of chicken stew and hotdogs with fixings swirled around and pulled many in for a bite.
All kinds of characters from popular movies were around- plus witches, kangaroos, little bugs and more.
Everyone likes their pictures made and especially when they want to show off their costumes. Young and older ones love to step into something they made or bought and have fun pretending to be someone else, just for a night of fun.
The weather was perfect for being out and about and I hope there weren’t to many upset stomachs this morning from eating too much candy. Good memories were made by all!
