La Grande Parks and Recreation opens summer camp registration for families

La Grande Parks and Recreation opened summer camp registration on May 5, giving Union County families a chance to lock in summer plans before school is out. The city says this year’s lineup includes weekly themed camps, specialty camps and programs run in partnership with other organizations.

The first camps named by the city include Science and Stuff, Animal Adventure and the La Grande High School Youth Soccer Camp. Families can register online through the Parks and Recreation site or contact Recreation Coordinator Chris Gianandrea at 541-962-1352. Gianandrea is listed in the city staff directory as the Parks & Recreation recreation coordinator.

The opening came within the department’s usual seasonal pattern. La Grande Parks and Recreation says summer camp registration typically opens in April, making the May 5 rollout part of the city’s regular spring push to get families signed up early enough to plan around child care, work schedules and summer activities.

The camp announcement also fits into a broader recreation system the city has built around youth programming. La Grande Parks and Recreation says it offers year-round programs and activities, facility rentals and updates on projects such as the Riverside Playground rebuild. Its youth sports offerings include Jr. Tackle Football, Flag Football, Basketball and Peewee Soccer.

Pioneer Park remains central to that network. The city describes it as the home of most organized athletic leagues in La Grande, including youth soccer and youth football, along with La Grande High School baseball and softball. That makes a youth soccer camp a natural extension of the city’s existing sports footprint, not a one-off add-on.

For families across La Grande and the rest of Union County, the registration opening signals that the summer calendar is already taking shape. The city’s recreation department is leaning on a mix of camps, sports leagues and seasonal programming to keep children active and connected during the break, while giving parents a local option that is rooted in familiar places like Pioneer Park and the Parks & Recreation office at 401 Palmer Avenue.