Murphy residents took full advantage of programs and events offered in 2022 and the Recreation Department has plans in the works to finetune existing events and add more diverse programs in 2023.

Gregory Dunn, recreation specialist for the city, said the city saw an increase in attendance as new programs such as beginner pickleball, cursive, multiplication classes and winter and summer STEAM camps were added.

One very popular program, a year-round program daytime ballet program called Divine Dance, had to add extra classes, said Dunn.

“Divine Dance started with one class at the beginning of 2022 and now has a Baby Ballet Class and three Dance classes for girls ages 4-11,” he said.

In addition, Dunn said judo, jiu jitsu and wrestling have seen steady growth over the past couple of months while participation in other sports programs has remained steady.

The basketball court has been very popular, said the recreation manager, who added that they usually “fill up reservations for the court every day.”

Another court sport, pickleball, Dunn said, “is becoming one of our most popular gym reservations since September.”

“Our new pickleball class has seen an increase in attendance and has helped boost our membership numbers,” Dunn said.

A very popular annual event, the Daddy-Daughter Dance, was rescheduled from the February 2022 calendar to March 5 because of the winter storms.

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