Season of swim, pool parties to help beat the heat

Cosette Stockman, 2, takes a ride on an inflatable flamingo in July 2021 during the Trolls Pool Party at Ellis-Porter Riverside Pool in Jefferson City. (Jason Strickland/News Tribune file photo)
Cosette Stockman, 2, takes a ride on an inflatable flamingo in July 2021 during the Trolls Pool Party at Ellis-Porter Riverside Pool in Jefferson City. (Jason Strickland/News Tribune file photo)


With temperatures recently in the upper 90s and the stifling heat keeping us inside, Jefferson City Parks and Recreation is encouraging people to get outside for a change and into the water.

Ellis-Porter Riverside Pool will host "Moana and Mermaids" on Friday for children ages 2-10. The pool party will be complete with "shiny cats" and snacks for a "Maui-sized good time." The event is 6:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Tickets are $10 per child, and pre-registration is encouraged but not required. There is no additional charge for parents or guardians, but they are required to stay for the entire event.

Get free pool admission for dads during Ellis-Porter Riverside Pool's Father's Day Special from noon-7 p.m. Sunday. Dads swim free with a paid youth admission, so take your children out to the pool and enjoy a dip into the water yourself. The Father's Day Special is also on for Memorial Park Family Aquatic Center.

Pump up the heat and fun with a special, Minions-themed pool party from 6:30 p.m.-7 p.m. July 15. The event, for children ages 2-10, is $10 per child. There is no additional charge for parents or guardians, but they are required to stay for the entire event. As with previous pool parties, registration is encouraged but not required.

The annual Float Your Boat is back Aug. 6. Unlike the pool parties, registration is required for Float Your Boat, and captains and their boats must check in at Ellis-Porter Riverside pool by 5 p.m. Aug. 6 (race day) before going on to complete the 50-meter course. In previous years, some groups have had luck; others not. Teams of two to six participants are tasked with creating a "human-powered boat made strictly of cardboard and duct tape that is capable of completing a 50-meter course," so choose your team wisely -- tickets are $20 per boat, sink or float. The event is 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m., and spectators who join for the race are welcome to stay and swim after the event is done. For more information about this specific contest and how to pre-register, visit jcparks.com/event/float-your-boat/.

Memorial Park Family Aquatic Center caps the summer swim season with the annual Hot Dippity Dog Swim. All dogs need to be on a leash when entering the pool, and leashes may be removed when in the water, but owners must stay close to their dogs. Don't forget to pick up your PupCup custard from Culver's on the way out -- your dog will thank you! The event is 6 p.m.-7 p.m. on Aug. 14 and costs $5 per dog. JC Parks also asks event attendees to not bring children to swim during the dog swim due to a change in water quality once dogs enter the pool.

CORRECTION: This article was edited at 11:03 a.m. June 16, 2022, to add the date of the Dog Swim which was inadvertently omitted from the original version.