"We moved away after college, but came back because we loved it so much."Starla & Pat Ivey and family
Recreation
For the sports-minded person, Columbia offers many fun activities and ways to keep in shape no matter what your age. Recreational opportunities are available at area parks, golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, bowling alleys, roller rinks and athletic clubs. The Area Recreation Center or ARC has an indoor leisure pool featuring a triple loop slide, large gymnasium hosting two full basketball courts, group exercise room, state-of-the-art indoor track and much more.
Columbians enjoy many spectator sports such as Big 12 Conference MU Tiger basketball and football as well as NCAA Division I baseball, wrestling, volleyball, softball, gymnastics, and track and field. Columbia College's softball, soccer, and volleyball teams are consistently high caliber.
Columbia is also home to the largest state game competition in the nation. The Show-Me STATE GAMES, is an annual, statewide, amateur Olympic-style sporting event for the whole family.
Joggers, walkers and bikers enjoy the many hiking trails in Columbia such as the MKT Nature & Fitness Trail, a 4.7-mile urban walkway through Columbia's beautiful greenbelt. The trail also connects with the Katy Trail State Park, the largest rails-to-trails conversion in the nation, stretching 185 miles across Missouri.
The award-winning Columbia Parks & Recreation Department, maintains over 42 parks and recreation facilities on more than 2,000 acres including Twin Lakes Recreation Area, Rainbow Softball Center, MKT Nature & Fitness Trail, Battle Park Martin Luther King Memorial Amphitheater, Nifong Park, Grindstone Nature Area and Capen Park. In addition to offering life enrichment classes, Parks & Rec also organizes sports leagues for all ages such as softball, soccer and volleyball.
Festivals are also popular activities and highlight the best of what Columbia has to offer for fun, family and cultural events. First NightŪ, The Black & Gold Festival, Earth Day, Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ, The Salute to Veterans Memorial Day Weekend Airshow, Art in the Park, Boone County Heritage Festival and the Festival of the Arts are just a few of the many annual events that Columbians enjoy and love. For more information, visit the Convention & Visitors Bureau.
