Large crowd inaugurates Williamsburg Sports & Events Center
It’s June 25. Today we’ll show you scenes from the inauguration of the Williamsburg Sports & Events Center. Local schools might get millions more in their budget from the state, but details still sparse. And background checks for private firearm sales will resume July 1.
A large crowd of residents and local elected officials turned out for the grand opening of the Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center Wednesday afternoon.
Visitors toured the 200,000 square-foot facility, sampled food and drinks, and tried out the pickleball and basketball courts. The youngsters played in the activity zone and practiced soccer kicks on the retractable turf field that is the largest in the United States.
Soccer star Ali Krieger, two-time World Cup champion with the U.S. women’s national team, signed autographs for young fans and urged their parents to encourage their kids to play a variety of sports.
Krieger, who is now a commentator for ESPN, told fans that her soccer game benefitted from having played volleyball and basketball in her youth in Prince William County.
Local elected officials hailed the $80 million facility not just as a generator of tourism revenue, but as a regional facility where residents of Williamsburg, James City County and York County can enjoy league and individual play.
Center officials say they have booked most weekends for the next year for events ranging from cat shows to sporting tournaments. They say the center, which can field 12 basketball, 24 volleyball and 36 pickleball courts, can also handle more than 5,000 people for trade shows.
They say it has already generated more than 29,000 hotel night bookings.
Local schools may gain millions more from new state budget
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