Registration is now open for the first full summer of programs at the Onset Bay Center, the newly renovated facility, formerly known as the Onset Bathhouse.

Final work on the building will be completed in June. Once programs begin, Wickets Island, Burgess Point, and Shell Point Marshes will be core destinations for the center’s on-the-water programming.

Sailing, kayaking and paddling, swimming and exploring the coastline will be among the activities offered in the summer of 2020. Programs for adults and families also will be offered.

“We are thrilled to be offering such a strong and diverse set of programs in our first full year at the center,” said Katherine Garofoli, Director of the Onset Bay Center. “Everyone who lives around Buzzards Bay should have opportunities to get out and experience the incredible natural beauty that is part of our home. That’s our goal: to get people out enjoying the Bay, learning new skills and making new friends.”

Youth programs are scheduled to begin on June 29 and will run through the week of Aug. 10. The schedule will feature seven different sessions each week, including half-day Beginner and Intermediate Sailing, High School Sailing, and Paddling Adventures. The Center also will offer a full-day Bay Explorers program for children, ages 7 to 12. The full-day program will combine a wide range of on-the-water activities allowing for discovery, learning, and play on Onset Bay. 

The youth programs are open to all residents of the Buzzards Bay region, but first priority for admission will be given to residents of Wareham and the Village of Buzzards Bay; followed by the adjacent communities of Middleboro, Carver, and South Plymouth; and then all others. The center will offer scholarship support for families who qualify. The Buzzards Bay Coalition’s program partners at the Onset Bay Center include the Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Bedford/Wareham, the Gleason Family YMCA, Wareham CARE Program, and  the Nemasket Kayak Center. 

Adult and family programs will also be offered. The schedule will include programs, such as Adult First Sail lessons, Sunset Paddle sessions, Learn to Shellfish clinics and more throughout the year. More information on those programs is available online and registration will open in the near future.

To learn more  about these programs, or to register, visit: www.onsetbaycenter.org