For the second year running, staff at Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows parks and leisure services are holding a weekly party in the park.

A section of Memorial Peace Park, on 224th Street in downtown Maple Ridge, will be cordoned off for games and family-oriented activities every Sunday during July and August.

It's called Family Day in the Park, and if reaction to the first event of the year is any indication, it's going to be a great season, said staffer Emily Knauff.

Set up just in front of The ACT, the weekly festival will feature giant games, volleyball, ping pong, bubbles, and more family fun aimed at children of all ages, and even some adults.

The event runs rain or shine from noon to 3 p.m., and each week organizers are introducing different themes.

For instance, last Sunday's theme was Alice in Wonderland. This coming Sunday, July 15, they're adapting a sports-day theme with team sports.

Other future themes include: July 22: Hop, skip, and jump - First 25 people get a free skipping rope.

July 29: Bard on the Bandstand - In honour of the Emerald Pig production of Love's Labour's Lost, staff are planning a series of Shakespearean pre-show activities.

Aug. 5: In-line skating - An instructor will be onhand from 1 to 3 p.m. teaching stops and turns on blades/skates.

Aug. 12: Family scavenger hunt - It starts with a fun rhyming clue and families are then invited on a walking tour of town from 1 to 2 p.m.

Aug. 19: Family fitness - Enjoy fun obstacle courses, relays, and even learn new moves with a personal trainer.

Aug. 26: Zumba party - End the summer with a shimmy shake and musical crafts for kids to make.

rhooper@mrtimes.com