Festival scheduled for Saturday at Hampton's new Teen Center

HAMPTON - — The new teen center doesn't open until late August, but there's an opportunity Saturday to take a look around the new facility.

The sixth annual Spring Fest Youth Rally is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. at the center which is the former Sentara Health & Fitness Center next to The Hamptons golf course on Butler Farm Road.

The theme for this year's festival, "Going Green" is a reference to both money and the environment. Teenagers can attend a financial workshop to learn about personal finance and make recycled arts and crafts. Eco-friendly games, free T-shirts and other giveaways are part of the event, said Callie Hardman, a youth development coordinator for Alternatives.

Live music by Tropical Band — a luau-themed group — as well as the Hampton High School Drum Line and Kecoughtan High School's step team are part of the entertainment along with food and rides. The event is open to families in Hampton.

The rally is organized by Uth ACT (Youth Achieving Change Together) with the purpose of getting young people civically engaged. The rally takes on a different theme each year. In recent years, they have focused on racial profiling, teen health and youth empowerment.

Uth ACT is an after-school program provided by Alternatives, which is working cooperatively with the city of Hampton on outfitting and programming for the Teen Center.

The two-story teen center cost Hampton $2.3million to purchase and will be operated as two centers: a 30,000-square-foot area designed for teens and a 15,000-square-foot aquatics center that will have a separate pool entrance. The renovation estimate for both is $1.03million.

The facility will have a grand opening Aug. 29 and will begin regular hours for the fall starting Aug 31. The hours are 3-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 3-11 p.m. Friday; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday; and closed on Sundays, said Cheryl Copper, outreach and resource development manager with Hampton Coalition for Youth.

In early August, the center will unveil a massive mural, the width of two former racquetball courts, which will have 300 faces made from plaster casts of Hampton teens. The point is to show the diversity of people in the city.

Hampton High School art teacher Steve Prince is overseeing the project.

The center's leaders have raised about $52,000 of $140,000 to outfit a recording studio, dance and banquet hall, kitchen and food court, creativity center and lounge area.

For information, go online to

www.hamptonteencenter.com.