Mark your calendars! Babb’s Beach will open on Saturday, June 22, beginning a summer of family fun at the historic landmark. Suffield Parks and Recreation has a full summer of fun activities planned throughout Town, and Babb’s Beach is an important part of those programs. Babb’s, as it is referred to by so many residents, is a great place to sit on the beach and just relax. However, if you are looking for a little more than sitting on the beach, there is swimming in the lake, the upper field area has a small pavilion for picnic lunches, and plenty of space to play games. We will continue to offer kayak and canoe storage convenience for residents at Babb’s Beach. The storage racks are available to rent through the Parks and Recreation website for one hundred dollars for the summer.
There have been several steps taken to upgrade the facilities at Babb’s, including handicapped access to parking and the beach. We invested in specialized rollout mats that enable beach access for people needing assistance. In addition to the handicap access, Babb’s is staffed by Parks and Recreation seasonal workers. Our workers are there to greet you as you enter the park, ensure that Suffield residents enter free of charge, and patrol the beach area to be sure people following park rules. Most of all the workers are there to make sure you are safe and can enjoy this treasure of a place.
There are more upgrades scheduled to happen at Babb’s this spring. Stairs are to be constructed allowing easier access from the upper field area to the beach. These stairs will wind along the lake overlook and end right at the beach gate. Upgrading accessibility is one of the goals we have set for Babb’s, and these stairs will help that area.
We have two exciting movie nights planned at Babb’s this summer. The first showing will be Disney’s Moana on our new twenty-foot inflatable movie screen. This movie night will also have “luau themed” family fun before the movie. Our second feature, on a different night, will be a twist on the “drive-in” movies. We will be having a “boat-in” movie night, where people that boat on the lake can come close to shore and watch the movie, while non-boaters can watch from the beach too. We will be showing the classic, Jaws! For those brave enough, bring your own flotation tube; we will have a few also, so you can float in the roped off area while watching!
Follow us on Facebook, twitter, and Instagram at @suffieldrec, or check our website (www.suffieldrec.com) for event dates, Babb’s hours of operation, and information on all of our programs.