Southgate Recreation & Park District

Southgate Recreation & Park District Southgate Recreation & Park District is an independent special district established in 1956 under the Public Resources Code.

The District provides park and recreation services to residents in Sacramento County (south and east of the City of Sacramento). Please read our conditions of use for social media: https://www.southgaterecandpark.net/conditions-of-website-use/

🍂 We celebrated 70 years—now we’re Growing Forward!Fall is here and this season is bringing together the traditions we l...
09/09/2026

🍂 We celebrated 70 years—now we’re Growing Forward!

Fall is here and this season is bringing together the traditions we look forward to every year with a few milestone moments that will help shape what comes next at Southgate Recreation & Park District.

We’ll honor the District’s 70th anniversary by preserving a piece of our story at the 70th Anniversary Time Capsule Dedication Ceremony, then turn our eyes toward the future as we break ground on a new park for the community.

And of course, fall wouldn’t feel complete without plenty of reasons to get outside and spend time together. Bring your four-legged family members to Pups in the Park, search for hidden treasures at the Fall Community Yard Sale, and get ready for a little seasonal fun at Splashing Pumpkins. 🐾🎃

As Halloween gets closer, brave the Halloween Carnival & Haunted House, then wrap up the season by browsing handmade goods, local vendors, and unique finds at the Fall Vendor & Craft Fair.

From celebrating where we’ve been to creating new places and traditions for the years ahead, there’s a lot happening across south Sacramento this fall.

🍁 Swipe through to explore the 2026 Fall Events, save the dates, and start making your fall plans! 🐊

A lot can happen in 30 minutes.A nervous swimmer can put their face underwater.A beginner can discover their float.A ret...
09/04/2026

A lot can happen in 30 minutes.

A nervous swimmer can put their face underwater.

A beginner can discover their float.

A returning swimmer can clean up a stroke.

Someone who has always stayed close to the wall can begin believing they don’t need it quite as much.

Southgate Swim Lessons are built around 30-minute instruction with multiple levels for different ages and abilities, giving swimmers a place to keep working toward the next skill at their own pace.

So while the calendar says fall, the pool still has plenty of growing left to do.

🗓️ Fall Swim Lessons begin September 5, 2026!

📍 Christine Thompson Aquatic Center, 8025 Waterman Rd.

📲 Registration for fall swim lessons are still open. Register online!

🐊🐊🐊

Think about how much your swimmer learned this summer.Maybe putting their face underwater finally stopped feeling scary....
09/04/2026

Think about how much your swimmer learned this summer.

Maybe putting their face underwater finally stopped feeling scary.

Maybe they learned to float.

Maybe their kick got stronger, they started working on front crawl or they made it farther across the pool than they ever had before.

Now imagine building from there instead of waiting months to pick it back up.

🍂🏊 Fall Swim Lessons can help keep those skills moving forward!

Southgate’s swim program includes progressive levels that build from water comfort and basic floating through front and back crawl, rhythmic breathing, breaststroke, butterfly, flip turns and endurance.

Summer may be wrapping up in South Sacramento, but your swimmer’s progress doesn’t have to!

🗓️ Fall Swim Lessons begin September 5, 2026!

📍 Christine Thompson Aquatic Center, 8025 Waterman Rd.

📲 Registration for fall swim lessons are still open. Register online or stop by Christine Thompson Aquatic Center for in-person registration!

What skill did your swimmer make the most progress on this year? Tell us below 👇

🐊🐊🐊

Pools. Lakes. Rivers. Vacations. Birthday parties. A friend’s backyard.Children encounter water in a lot of places outsi...
09/03/2026

Pools. Lakes. Rivers. Vacations. Birthday parties. A friend’s backyard.

Children encounter water in a lot of places outside of swim lessons.

That’s why learning to swim is about more than making it from one end of the pool to the other.

Southgate’s swim lesson program teaches participants skills for becoming more capable and comfortable around water, beginning with introductory skills to more advance swimming techniques.

And there’s a level for many different starting points, from parent-participation lessons for little ones to teen and adult beginners.

Fall Swim Lessons are another opportunity to put a little more water confidence behind every future trip to the pool!

📍 Christine Thompson Aquatic Center, 8025 Waterman Rd.

🗓️ Fall Swim Lessons begin September 5, 2026!

📲 Registration for fall swim lessons are still open. Register online or stop by Christine Thompson Aquatic Center for in-person registration!

🐊🐊🐊

At first, it might be two hands gripping the wall.Then comes a float.A kick away from the steps.A few feet without help....
09/01/2026

At first, it might be two hands gripping the wall.

Then comes a float.

A kick away from the steps.

A few feet without help.

And eventually, the look back toward Mom or Dad that says, “Did you see that?”

Those small wins are a big part of learning to swim.

Southgate Swim Lessons are designed with small class sizes and low student-to-instructor ratios, giving swimmers more opportunities for instruction, feedback, and practice. Classes progress through different levels so participants can work on the skills appropriate for where they are in the water.

Fall is a great time to continue what your swimmer started this summer or to begin building that confidence for the very first time.

🗓️ Fall Swim Lessons begin September 5, 2026!

📲 Registration for fall swim lessons are still open. Register online or stop by Christine Thompson Aquatic Center for in-person registration!

Tag another parent who has been meaning to get their child into swim lessons.

🐊🐊🐊

The backpacks are packed. The school routine is back. But there’s one summer skill worth carrying into fall. 🏊Swimming!I...
08/31/2026

The backpacks are packed. The school routine is back. But there’s one summer skill worth carrying into fall. 🏊

Swimming!

If your child spent the summer getting more comfortable in the water, Fall Swim Lessons are a chance to keep that progress going. And if they didn’t get into lessons this summer, there’s still time to begin!

Learning to swim isn’t something that has to fit into one season. Every float, kick, breath, and trip across the pool adds another layer of confidence around the water.

Southgate Recreation & Park District offers swim instruction for a wide range of ages and abilities at Christine Thompson Aquatic Center, from young swimmers getting comfortable in the pool to participants building stronger strokes and technique.

🍂 Keep swimming. Keep learning. Keep building confidence.

Parents: what swimming skill would you most like your child to feel confident doing?

🐊🐊🐊

🍂 The Fall Southgator is here, and after a summer spent celebrating 70 Years in Motion, this season continues to turn th...
08/31/2026

🍂 The Fall Southgator is here, and after a summer spent celebrating 70 Years in Motion, this season continues to turn the page towards what comes next as we prepare for cozy vibes together and focus on Growing Forward.

Fall has its own way of bringing the community back together. Kids return to after-school routines. Soccer fields fill up again. Families start planning weekends around pumpkin season, Halloween traditions, holiday photos, and the events they look forward to every year.

For 70 years, Southgate has grown alongside South Sacramento. Now, we’re looking at how the parks, programs, facilities, and traditions our community knows can continue serving the next generation with thoughtful improvements, greater accessibility, and care for the places we all share.

Inside the Fall Southgator, you’ll see that story taking shape across the District!

Learn how Southgate is using electric vehicles, solar power, EV chargers, electric maintenance equipment, and other cleaner technology to care for our parks in quieter and more sustainable ways. See the latest park and trail improvements taking place around the District, along with the new WildHawk Golf Club patio shade structure and continued work to make your next round even better.

And, of course, fall wouldn’t feel like fall without the traditions that bring neighbors together:

🐾 Pups in the Park | September 26, 2026

🎃 Splashing Pumpkins | October 10, 2026

👻 Halloween Carnival & Haunted House | October 31, 2026

🛍️ Fall Vendor & Craft Fair | November 21, 2026

📸 Pictures in the Park | September 19 & 21

You’ll also find youth programs, adult and senior activities, aquatics, sports, WildHawk Golf Club news, community stories, and even a new Fall Activity Page with puzzles, coloring, and more.

Our 70th anniversary gave us a chance to look back at everything this community has built together. Growing Forward is about carrying that story with us while continuing to make Southgate Recreation & Park District better for the people who call this community home.

District residents should have received their copy in the mail, but if not, grab your Fall Southgator at any of our community centers, and find something for your family, and come spend the season with us. 🍁

https://southgaterecandpark.gov/wp-content/uploads/26_Fall_Southgator_WEB.pdf

Did you already get a chance to check out the latest Southgator? Let us know what part of the fall issue was your favorite in the comments below! 👇

👀 Let’s be real for a second.After school…where do teens actually go?Not where adults think you should go, but where you...
08/24/2026

👀 Let’s be real for a second.

After school…where do teens actually go?
Not where adults think you should go, but where you want to be!

That’s why Gator Club Teen Center exists. A space just for teens to hang out, try stuff, play games, work on ideas, and chill without being judged or micromanaged.

Southgate’s been creating youth spaces for almost 70 years and this one’s built for today!

Gator Club returns for the school year on Wednesday, September 9!

📍 Pat O’Brien Community Center, 8025 Waterman Road

🗓️ Wednesdays & Fridays, 2:45pm–6pm

💪 Grades 7–12

🎟️ Drop-in fee: $6 (participant waiver must be signed by parent/guardian prior to atending)

🏊🏽 One more weekday swim of the summer!Before school routines settle back in and summer starts to slow down, come spend ...
08/11/2026

🏊🏽 One more weekday swim of the summer!

Before school routines settle back in and summer starts to slow down, come spend part of your Wednesday at Christine Thompson Aquatic Center.

The LAST WEEKDAY Recreation Swim of the season is Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Bring the towels, bring the sunscreen, and make one more midweek pool memory with us!

📍 Christine Thompson Aquatic Center, 8025 Waterman Road

🗓️ Last weekday Recreation Swim: Wednesday, August 12 | 1:30pm–4pm

🎟️ $6 ages 2+ | Under 2 free

🐊

Address

6000 Orange Avenue
Sacramento, CA
95823

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(916) 428-1171

Website

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