Sykesville Parks and Recreation Commission approves 2025 meeting and event calendar; Skate Jam tentatively set for May 10

The Sykesville Parks and Recreation Commission voted Jan. 23 to approve its 2025 meeting calendar and event schedule, and tentatively set the Sykesville Skate Jam for May 10 with a May 17 rain date.

The action followed routine business that included approval of the Nov. 21, 2024 meeting minutes and adoption of the regular meeting schedule for 2025. The commission agreed that monthly meetings will generally be on the fourth Thursday from January through October, with November moved to the third Thursday to avoid Thanksgiving conflicts.

Why it matters: the calendar fixes dates for recurring volunteer-driven events and helps the town and local partners plan staffing, staffing coverage with police auxiliary, volunteer recruitment and vendor outreach for festivals and concerts.

Commission discussion focused on event logistics and overlap with other community activities. Commissioners flagged a potential policing and auxiliary staffing conflict when Springfest at Cooper Park and the Skate Jam fall on the same weekend; staff and members said they would coordinate with the police department and local businesses. Commissioners also discussed volunteer shifts for craft tables, ways to prevent people leaving trash in clothing or donation bins, and outreach to local restaurants to support food sales at events.

Key dates the commission discussed or approved include: - Spring park cleanup: April 12, 2025. - Easter egg hunt: April 18, 2025. - Sykesville Skate Jam (tentative): May 10, 2025; rain date May 17, 2025. Commissioners asked staff to confirm police auxiliary availability before finalizing the Skate Jam date. - Movie nights (Sykesville Cinema): second Saturdays, June–October; the commission tentatively selected June 14, 2025 as a movie date paired with a pre-movie musical performance. - Lehi Freedom Ring parade participation: June 28, 2025 (date set by parade organizers). - Concerts and fall cleanup: the commission agreed to combine a concert with the fall cleanup on Sept. 20, 2025. - Santa’s arrival/tree lighting: Dec. 6, 2025 (recurring annual event).

Members debated how to program music across the season. Nick, a commission member who led parts of the music discussion, urged integrating live music into existing events instead of adding separate concert days, saying, “Instead of having separate concert days, we start incorporating music into our other events,” and the body endorsed trying that approach this year. The commission agreed to reach out to a local music school (referred to in discussion as the band shop) about providing student performances before a June movie night and to contact the band SCUM about performing at the Skate Jam if the group is available.

Commissioners also raised operational points: craft-table volunteers should be scheduled in shifts rather than single long shifts; clothing-drive stations should not use open trash cans (donations should be handed to booth staff or placed in secured containers); and staff will pursue local restaurant participation for food sales at events, acknowledging restaurants often want to see an established event before committing.

Votes at a glance: • Approval of Nov. 21, 2024 meeting minutes — motion carried (voice vote). Motion: “I motion to approve the meeting minutes from 11/21/2024.” (mover: Commission member; second: Commission member) • Approval of 2025 meeting dates (fourth Thursdays Jan–Oct; third Thursday in November) — motion carried (voice vote). • Approval of the 2025 event schedule, with Sykesville Skate Jam tentatively set for May 10 (May 17 rain date) — motion carried (voice vote); the Skate Jam date remains contingent on police and partner confirmation.

Looking ahead, the commission set its next meeting for Feb. 27, 2025, when staff said they will introduce the parks and recreation employee assigned to support the commission’s events and communications.