The 501 has a lot to offer for those who are opting this summer for a staycation in Central Arkansas.

From beautiful state parks and interesting museums to water fun on area lakes and rivers, there is something for everyone.

SEARCY SWIM CENTER

There’s a new venue in Searcy to check out this summer – the Searcy Swim Center. With water fun and inexpensive family entertainment afforded at The Rialto Theatre, a day trip to White County may be in order.

According to Searcy Parks and Recreation Director Mike Parsons, the City of Searcy purchased 17 acres adjacent to the city soccer fields and other recreational facilities to construct the 19,085-square-foot aquatics center. “We hope this is Phase 1 and later we will add a community center,” he said, adding there is room for an outdoor water park but that would be years down the road. “When we bought this property, we had visions of doing more than just this.”

Searcy voters approved an eight-year, 1-cent sales tax to make city improvements, including the new indoor pool. “This was the big project,” Parsons said. “People felt like Searcy didn’t need a facility but now that we’re open, everybody loves it.” Originally, the city was going to build an outdoor but with citizen input, the design was changed to an indoor facility. The city previously had an outdoor pool, but it was inoperable the last three years.

Daily admission to the aquatics center is $5 per person and there are no residency requirements. Individual and family memberships are also afford

able, $12 and $20, respectively. “We want it to be affordable so everyone can use it,” Parsons said. “We just want everyone to use it. We have quite a few members that are from outside of Searcy.”

Daily attendance ranges from 50 to 300, with some people waiting in the parking lot at times for the center to open at 5:30 or 6 a.m. “Every day is different.” Parsons added officials had hoped to have 1,000 members at this time, but the center already has more than 2,500. Still, a lot of people  aren’t aware of it.

In addition, the center is available for indoor pool parties, available 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Prices range from $125 to $300, depending on the space utilized.

The center is designed to offer amenities for a wide range of individuals. “We tried to get it so ages 0 to 100 can use the facility,” Parsons said. “We’re trying to find something all ages can do.”

The center includes two inside pools (open year-round) and an outdoor pool (open during the summer). The pool offers lap swimming, water aerobics, water walking, leisure activities, swim lessons and swim teams for both youth and adults. The pools utilize a state-of-the-art ultraviolet treatment system, reducing chemical costs and reducing the problem with rust.

Chad Price is the manager of the pool, located at 525 Recreation Way.

A concession stand will be open during the summer, which can serve those inside or outside. There is also an inflatable obstacle course for the indoor pool which typically goes up on Friday afternoons and stays up through the weekend.

Unity Health donated the center’s video board, which displays information and healthy tips. It can also be used to show movies and can display times using touchpads installed at the end of the swim lanes.

Parsons pointed out that with the new center, the city can host competitive swim meets and it can also be used for triathlons. “There’s a lot of potential here.”

Parsons said the center, which opened in October 2017, was busy over spring break, offering a preview of what the activity will probably be like this summer.

RIALTO THEATRE

In addition to the swim center, residents and visitors can enjoy family entertainment at a reasonable price at The Rialto Theatre in Downtown Searcy.

The Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Rialto Theater in Downtown Searcy. The ceremony marked the re-opening of the theater after the City of Searcy began operating it and completed some minor improvements.

The City of Searcy, which owns the theatre, recently took over operation of the Rialto, which is now considered part of the Parks and Recreation Department. “The city is looking at it as a parks facility,” Parsons said, adding that the city wants it to be family-friendly so no R-rated movies will be shown.

Parsons said minor renovations have since been made in the concession area and in the restrooms. 

In addition, Main Street Searcy has worked with other groups to secure funding to restore the exterior of the theater. Officials are working to identify additional improvements that are needed inside and secure additional funding.

Parsons said movie-goers are asked if they would like to round up the amount they owe, with anything extra going into the fund for new seating. For example, someone looking to pay $10.50 for the movie and concessions would be asked if they would like to pay $11 instead. Movie posters and T-shirts are also being sold.

Considered a second-run theatre, the movie shown each week changes out on Fridays.

A new screen has been ordered to replace the 24-year-old one, and there will be a new projector that will use technology to schedule showings.

During the summer, there will be a matinee every day at the Rialto and tickets are $1 each. During the rest of the year, typically there is a $1 matinee on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. On Tuesday nights, tickets are also $1. The theatre can also take private reservations and host birthday parties.

For more information including current movie listings, visit the Searcy Rialto Theatre page on Facebook.

Parsons said the Rialto is seeing more than 500 movie-goers each week, many of them families. When asked his thoughts about the theatre, he said, “I love it. I’m glad we did it.” While he did not grow up in Searcy, he enjoys hearing stories about The Rialto. “It means a lot to people who grew up here.”

Parsons said the swim center and Rialto can provide a full day of fun for families that won’t break the bank – an important consideration for any staycation.

Sonja Keith
Co-owner 501 Advertising and Publishing/Publisher of 501 LIFE

A native of New Iberia, La., Sonja is a graduate of Hartman High School (Johnson County) and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. Sonja is active in the community, serving on various boards and committees including the Conway Regional Women’s Council, the UCA Reynolds Community Council and the Faulkner County Council on Aging. A daughter of Mary and Stan Clinesmith of Conway, she has three younger sisters, Tricia, Stacey and Lori. Sonja and her husband, Tom, have four grown children – James, Emily, Laura and Joe. The family attends Grace United Methodist Church in Conway.