Frequently Asked Questions Click here to see FAQ's regarding rentals

Heather Farm Park and Community Center 1. Where are they located? 2. How do I get there? 3. What amenities do you have in the park? e.g. tennis, pool, etc? 4. Is there an entrance fee to Heather Farm Park? 5. What time is the park open? 6. Can we bring our pets during picnics? 7. Is there a petting zoo at the park? 8. Where is the Civic Park and the Civic Park Community Center and how do I get there? Clarke Swim Center 1. What is the telephone number of the swim center? 2. What are the pool hours? 3. How much is it to get in? 4. How many lengths do I have to swim to complete one mile? 5. How do I become a lifeguard or instructor for the City of Walnut Creek? 6. If I wanted to join a swim team, what is available? Community Center & Park Rentals 1. How much is the fee for renting the community center? 2. What's the size of your banquet hall? i.e., the square footage? 3. What is included with the rental? Do you provide linens, etc....? 4. Can I come in early to decorate? 5. When will my deposit be returned? 6. Can we use the Heather Farm gazebo if we rent your hall? 7. How much is it to rent the picnic area? What's included in that rental? Is there electricity and water? 8. Is alcohol allowed if we're renting the picnic/hall area? Recreation Classes/Activities 1. How do I register for a class or program? 2. What are the office hours? 3. How do I pay? 4. What if my class is cancelled? 5. Will I receive confirmation of my registration? 6. What if I want a refund? Community Gymnasiums The City of Walnut Creek operates two community gyms, the Tice Valley Community Gymnasium and the Foothill Community Gymnasium 1. What programs do you offer at the gyms? 2. Is Tice Valley a full gym service/club? 3. Does Tice Valley Gym belong to the Jewish Community Center (JCC), which is located next door? 4. Can we rent all or part of the Tice Valley Gym or Foothill Gym? 5. How do I get to the Foothill or Tice Valley Gyms? 6. Do we have a shower or swim facilities at the Tice Valley Gym? 7. What is the cost of membership for the gym? 8. What are your open gym times? Gardens @ Heather Farm 1. What is the phone number for the Gardens at Heather Farm (formerly called the Garden Center)? Youth Sports 1. Do you offer youth sports? 2. What is the telephone number of the youth sports office? Preschool Programs 1. Do you offer preschool programs? The Activities Guide 1. How can I receive a copy of the Activities Guide? Day Camps for Children 1. Do you offer day camps for kids? Heather Farm Park and Community Center 1. Where are you located? The Community Center and Recreation Division office is located in Heather Farm Park at 301 N. San Carlos Drive, off of Ygnacio Valley Road. Other facilities include the Lakeside and Club Room. 2. How do I get there? a. From Highway 24, heading east: Connect to the 680 freeway, heading north. Take the first exit, Ygnacio Valley Road. Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road. Stay on Ygnacio Valley Road till the eleventh traffic signal. One block past John Muir Hospital, turn left onto North San Carlos Drive. You are now in Heather Farm Park. The Community Center is two blocks down on your left. b. From the 680 Freeway heading north: Take the Ygnacio Valley Road exit and follow the instructions listed above. c. From the 680 Freeway heading south: Take the North Main Street exit, staying in the right lane as you exit. You will cross over the freeway and will be traveling South or North Main Street. Stay in the left lanes. At the fifth signal, turn left onto Ygnacio Valley Road. Continue to the eighth traffic signal. One block past John Muir Hospital, turn left onto North San Carlos Drive. You are now in Heather Farm Park. The Community Center is two blocks down on your left. 3. What amenities do you have in the park? e.g. tennis, pool, etc? Amenities in the park include the swim center with three pools, tennis court, basketball courts, volleyball courts, walking trails, man-made pond, baseball/softball fields, soccer field, children's playground, and picnic tables, many with bbq's. 4. Is there an entrance fee to Heather Farm Park? No. Heather Farm Park is a public community park. There are no entrance or parking fees. 5. What time is the park open? Dawn to Dusk 6. Can we bring our pets during picnics? Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed and the use of pooper-scoopers are required. 7. Is there a petting zoo at the park? No 8. Where is the Civic Park and the Civic Park Community Center and how do I get there? Civic Park is located at the corner of Civic Drive and North Broadway in Walnut Creek. Park amenities include tennis courts, picnic tables, gazebo, lawn areas, a large children's play area, and a community center. The Civic Park Community Center and Recreation Division office is located in Civic Park. The address is 1375 Civic Drive. Civic Park Community Center houses the Assembly Hall, Social Hall, Multi-purpose Room, Lounge, and Conference Room. If you are interested, in the active adults program please call (925) 943-5851 or click here for more information. a. From Highway 24, heading east: Connect to the 680 freeway, heading north. Take the first exit, Ygnacio Valley Road. Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road. At the third traffic signal turn right onto North Main Street. At the second traffic signal, turn left onto Civic Drive. Go one block, cross North Broadway. You will see the park on your right. Turn into the first driveway on your right into the parking lot. You are now in Civic Park. Go straight ahead to the back of the parking lot, follow the road down along the creek to the back parking lot. The Community Center is on your right. b. From the 680 Freeway heading north: Take the Ygnacio Valley Road exit and follow the instructions listed above. c. From the 680 Freeway heading south: Take the North Main Street exit, staying in the right lane as you exit. You will cross over the freeway and will be traveling South or North Main Street. Stay in the left lanes. Continue to the seventh traffic signal and turn left onto Civic Drive. In one block cross North Broadway. You will see the park on your right. Turn into the first driveway on your right. You are now in Civic Park. The Community Center is straight ahead at the end of the parking lot. back to top Clarke Swim Center 1. What is the telephone number of the swim center? The number for the year-round Clarke Memorial Swim Center in Heather Farm Park is 943-5856. The number for the seasonal Larkey Swim Center is 939-1532. 2. What are the pool hours? The recreation swim hours vary with the time of year, so please call the number above or visit our aquatics web page for accurate information. Typically, recreation swim hours are; Sat-Sun 12:00-4:45pm. b. Fitness lap swim times also vary. Typically, they are as follows: Mon. – Fri., 5:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mon. – Thurs., 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Sat.-Sun., 11:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. 3. How much is it to get in? 6 years old & under - $2.75; Youth 7-15 yrs. - $3.50; Adults, 16 & up - $4.00 4. How many lengths do I have to swim to complete one mile? 72 5. How can I become a lifeguard or instructor for the City of Walnut Creek? You must be 15 years of age to work as a lifeguard and 17 years of age to be an instructor. Simply fill out an application and go through the American Red Cross training programs that we provide. It takes approximately 81 hours of training to become a lifeguard for the City of Walnut Creek and approximately 121 training hours to become a certified Red Cross swim instructor for Walnut Creek. 6. If I wanted to join a swim team, what is available? We have several options available and for all ages: a. Walnut Creek Masters (age 19 and over); 943-5899, ext. 431 b. Walnut Creek Aquabears (year-round, age-group team, 5 to 18 years of age); 939-5990 c. Walnut Creek Aquanuts Synchronized Swim Team; 938-9224 d. Diablo Divers of Walnut Creek; 778-8666 back to top Community Center & Park Rentals 1. How much is the fee for renting the community center? Call the Rental Office at (925) 256-3575 (Mon-Thurs. 9:00 a.m. - noon only) for a brochure or information or refer to the Community Center information located on this website. 2. What's the size of your banquet hall? i.e., the square footage? Size of banquet hall: Capacity of 200 people maximum. The facility is approximately 3,000 square feet. 3. What's included with the rental? Do you provide linens, etc....? Rental of the community center includes use of tables, chairs, full kitchen, building attendants to set up and take down the set-up. The renter must provide linens, food, utensils, etc., and remove all trash. 4. Can I come in early to decorate? Yes, but decorating time, like set-up and takedown time, must be included in the rental time. The facility will not be accessible prior to your rental time and an extra fee will be charged if a group exceeds their allotted rental time. 5. When will my deposit be returned? Considering everything went smoothly with the event, deposit refunds are usually processed the day following the rental, meaning a refund check and/or credit to a charge card can be expected in 5 to 10 days. 6. Can we use the Heather Farm gazebo if we rent your hall? No. The gazebo is property of The Gardens at Heather Farm. They may be contacted at (925) 947-1678 7. How much is it to rent the picnic area? What's included with that rental? Is there electricity and water? Picnic area rate: $225 / all day. There's no electrical source or water supply in the picnic area. 8. Is alcohol allowed if we're renting the hall/picnic area? Alcohol use (beer and wine only, no hard liquor) may be allowed and requires payment of a $50 alcohol fee. back to top Recreation Classes/Activities 1. How do I register for a class or program? We have several simple ways to register for our classes and programs. a. On-line. You may register on-line for most of our programs. Simply click the EZReg logo on any of our pages to find out how to begin. b. Mail-in. Review the Activities Guide, select a class, and mail in your registration form, complete with Visa or MasterCard number, to Walnut Creek Recreation, 301 North San Carlos Drive, Walnut Creek, 94598. c. Fax-in. Simply fax in the registration form from the Activities Guide, complete with Visa or MasterCard number, to (925) 938-PLAY (7529). d. Phone-in give us a call at (925) 943-5858, and we’ll sign you up, using your Visa or MasterCard. Please note the start date of phone in registration listed in the Activities Guide. e. Walk-in. We also gladly accept registration forms, which are walked in. We are located in Heather Farm Park, off Ygnacio Valley Road. Please note the start date of walk-in registration listed in the Activities Guide. To return to our home page, click here www.walnutcreekrec.org. You can browse our classes and register on-line by clicking the EZReg logo, or download a registration form and fax, mail, or walk it in. 2. What are the office hours? 8am-5pm, Monday - Friday 3. How do I pay? You can pay with cash, check (payable to the "City of Walnut Creek"), or credit card (Visa or MasterCard). 4. What if my class is cancelled? If your class is canceled due to low enrollment you will be notified as soon as possible. The class fee will remain as a credit on your Recreation Division account to be used for other programs. You may request a refund at anytime by contacting us at (925) 943-5858. The Recreation Division may cancel a class and schedule a make-up class due to weather or a scheduling conflict. We will make every effort to schedule a make-up class. If we are unable to schedule a make-up class, you will receive a credit to your Recreation Division account for the missed class. You may choose to receive a refund for the class by contacting the Recreation Division at (925) 943-5858. 5. Will I receive confirmation of my registration? Yes, we will mail you a receipt within two weeks of receiving your registration. If you choose to register on-line be sure to print the last page as your confirmation. We do not mail receipts for on line registration. 6. What if I want a refund? Refunds or credits will be considered if written requests are submitted to the Recreation Division prior to the second class. Refunds/Credits are subject to a $10 service charge per person, per class. Refunds are processed within two weeks. Refund / credit requests after the second class meeting may be subject to partial refunds and service charge. No refund requests are accepted after the last class meeting. Failure to attend a program or "no shows" will not be granted a refund / credit. Refund policies may vary for Aquatics, Active Adults (Seniors), and Therapeutic Recreation programs. back to top Community Gymnasiums The City of Walnut Creek operates two community gymnasiums, the Tice Valley Community Gymnasium and the Foothill Community Gymnasium. 1. What programs do you offer at the gymnasiums? a. Adult Basketball, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5, Sunday and Thursday, Foothill and Tice Valley Community Gyms. b. Adult Volleyball, men’s and women’s 4’s, men’s, women’s, and co-ed leagues, Monday and Wednesday, Tice Valley Community Gym. c. Drop-In Basketball, Tuesday, 7-10:00 p.m., $5, Tice Valley. d. Drop-In Volleyball, Friday, 7-10:00 p.m., $3, Tice Valley. 2. Is Tice Valley Gym a full service club/gym? No, Tice Gym was primarily built to help stem the growing demand for gymnasium court space, mainly for the youth programs of Walnut Creek. With the limited land available, adding club facilities, such as a weight room, showers, etc. would have cut into the number of courts that could be built. Tice includes 3 basketball courts, a classroom, and an aerobic/dance studio. 3. Does Tice Valley Gym belong to the Jewish Community Center (JCC), which is located next door? The gym was built entirely with City money and is owned and operated by the City of Walnut Creek. The land that the gym sits on belongs to the JCC, but is leased to the City. In return for the lease of the land, the JCC can use the gym part of the time with no fees. 4. Can we rent all or part of the Tice Valley or Foothill Gyms? Yes. At Tice there are three (3) full size courts, a classroom and an exercise room for rent. At Foothill there are two (2) full size courts. The charge is $21 per hour for the classroom, exercise room or each gym court for non-profit organizations, or $31 per hour for private rental. 5. How do I get to the Foothill or Tice Valley Gyms? Foothill, 2775 Cedro Lane. i. From Ygnacio Valley road, approximately three (3) miles east of the 680 Freeway turn south onto Wiget Lane. After five (5) blocks turn left onto Cedro Lane. After two long blocks Foothill Middle School will be on your left. Park in the school parking lot and walk around the left side of the school to the gym. Tice Valley, 2055 Tice Valley Boulevard. ii. Alternative one – From downtown Walnut Creek head west on Olympic Boulevard. Approximately one (1) mile west of the 680 Freeway turn left onto Tice Valley Boulevard. Proceed south for approximately one (1) mile and turn right into the first driveway after Rossmoor Parkway. iii. Alternative two – From downtown Walnut Creek head south on South Main Street. Continue under the 680 freeway and turn right onto the fourth street, Crest Avenue. Follow Crest Avenue to a stop sign and turn right onto Tice Valley Boulevard. After approximately 1 ½ mile turn left into the last driveway at the Jewish Community Center. If you get to Rossmoor Parkway you have gone too far. 6. Do we have shower or swim facilities at the Tice Valley Gym? A changing room is available with lockers (bring your own lock); there are no shower or swim facilities at the gym. From April through September, the Jewish Community Center, next door, has both shower and swim facilities available to the public for a fee. 7. What is the cost of membership for the gym? There is no membership needed to come to Foothill or Tice Gym. When not in use for scheduled leagues or other activities there are available court times when the public can drop in and play for free 8. What are your open gym times? It varies from week to week and the time of year depending on the leagues or rentals that may be scheduled. The best way to find out is to call each gym individually. Please call the Foothill Community Gym at (925) 256-3539 or the Tice Valley Community Gym at (925) 256-3572. back to top The Gardens at Heather Farm (formerly the Garden Center) 1. What is the phone number of the Gardens at Heather Farm? (925) 947-1678 or visit their website at www.gardenshf.org back to top Youth Sports 1. Do you offer youth sports? a. No. There are community organizations in Walnut Creek offering sports for children. 2. What is the telephone number of the youth sports office? a. Walnut Creek Youth Athletic Association office - (925) 933-4884. This group runs baseball, softball, basketball, and flag football b. Walnut Creek Soccer Club - (925) 930-0210 c. Walnut Creek Youth Football - (925) 941-4745 d. Walnut Creek Little League - (925) 806-8242 back to top Preschool Programs 1. Do you offer preschool programs? Yes. We currently offer 5 different preschool programs for children aged 2 ½, 3, and 4 years. Each is a well-rounded, nurturing program offering developmentally appropriate curriculum. Heather Farm Preschool provides programs for each of the age groups and Civic Park Preschool offers a 3-4-year-old program. Classes meet either 2,3, or 4 times per week and range from a total of 5 to 12 hours per week of class time. The classes run on a traditional school year schedule, consisting of three 11-week sessions. Similar programs are also offered, on a reduced schedule, during the summer months. Please consult this website under Children for additional information or call (925) 943-5858 with any questions. back to top The Activities Guide 1. How can I receive a copy of the Activities Guide? The Recreation Division Activities Guide includes a listing of all programs and services provides by the Recreation Division. It is published four times per year, on a quarterly basis, and is typically distributed in mid-February (Spring), mid-May (Summer), mid-August (Fall), and mid-November (Winter). The Activities Guide is mailed to every Walnut Creek household. Non-Walnut Creek residents may be placed on our mailing list by calling (925) 943-5858. The Activities Guide is also available at most City offices and local libraries. Specific questions about the Activities Guide may be directed to the editor, Todd Trimble, Senior Recreation Supervisor, at (925) 943-5899 x420. back to top Day Camps for Children 1. Do you offer day camps for kids? Yes. The Recreation Division offers several day camp programs for children ages 3 to 13 years. Most programs are offered during the summer months, but week-long programs are often offered during the spring and winter school breaks. Refer to the quarterly Activities Guide or to the annual Kids Scene brochure. Kids Scene is a descriptive brochure outlining all the division’s summer camp programs for preschoolers, youth, teens, and special populations. The Kids Scene is available each year by approximately March 1. Please call (925) 943-5858 to be placed on the mailing list. back to top Do you have a question or comment for the Recreation Division? E-mail us at recreation@walnutcreekrec.org Together the Arts, Recreation, and Community Services Department creates a better community through services that strengthen heart, mind and body.