Story by Gisselle Hernandez, Contributing writer
As the semester draws to a close, students eagerly prepare to leave for Summer Break but those who stay in Murray may find the town becomes much more quiet once the majority of students head out.
Despite Murray being relatively small, it has no shortage of entertainment students can engage in. The following are some activities that students can do over the summer in or near Murray.
Land Between the Lakes
Land Between the Lakes, commonly known as LBL, is a popular recreational area that is less an hour away from Murray on Van Morgan Drive. It offers numerous activities for all types of sightseers. There is camping available for $12 a night at the basic campsite, the Golden Pond Planetarium and Observatory for $5 and more than 500 miles of hiking and biking trails. Students also can go fishing or canoeing at Kentucky Lake or have picnics by the lakeshore. For more activities LBL offers, visit its websitewww.landbetweenthelakes.us.
Playhouse in the Park
Playhouse in the Park is Murray-Calloway County’s community-run theater in Murray’s Central Park. A show premieres at the beginning of each month and usually plays for two weeks with residents of the community as cast members. Tickets are from $8 – 10. “Little Women” will play from June 4 – 17 and “A Year With Frog and Toad Kids” will play from July 17 – 21 (tickets go on sale July 6 for the latter). Anyone can also audition if they have such aspirations.
Cardinal Lanes
Cardinal Lanes is a 32-lane bowling alley located in Paducah, Ky., which is less than an hour away from Murray. It is open seven days a week and its hours of operation can be found on their website. The rates range from $3.75-4.75 per person, per game and it caters to all ages, including college students. On Thursday nights, people can bowl for $14 for the entire night. Specials are available every day of the week except for Sundays and visitors can book parties at the center.
Calvert City Drive-In Theater
Calvert City Drive-In Theater is located in Calvert City, Ky., 40 minutes from Murray. It’s open every night starting at 4:30 p.m. and tickets are $7 per car. Parking space allows for more than 100 vehicles and the theater offers food for takeout and delivery. Movies playing during the summer include “Furious 7,” “Pitch Perfect 2” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” For movie times visit the website, www.calvertdrivein.com.
SAMFEST
SAMFEST is an annual fundraiser where local bands play all day for free in remembrance of Sammie Crutcher, former drummer of Nightfish. All proceeds go to a charity chosen for that year. This year the concert will support the American Heart Association. It’s the sixth annual festival and is scheduled for noon – 10 p.m. June 20 at the Murray-Calloway County Fair. It is described as family fun and alcohol-free by the Murray Chamber of Commerce website.