Winthrop Parks and Recreation Director Sean Driscoll and Program Director MiKayla Bestford are busy finalizing the schedule for the 2026 Summer Park Program.
This year’s program will have a theme of celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States of America. The eight-week half-day and full-day programs begin on June 29 and will run through Aug. 21.
“We’ll be holding all our activities at Point Shirley (Coughlin Playground) to celebrate that neighborhood in our town because there is such a great tradition down there with the summertime residents and seasonal community we’ve had in the past,” said Driscoll. “I can’t thank the Point Shirley Association enough for their assistance with their housing of our after-school program and our full-day summer camp. And with the Tall Ships coming to Boston this year, we’ll be scheduling some water-and-boat related programs along with our regular activities.”
“We’ll be having boat races, and participants will be able to make their own Tall Ships,” noted Bestford.
Kickoff Events
Winthrop Parks and Recreation was set to host a summer kickoff barbecue and event co-sponsored by the Winthrop Police Department June 3 at Daw Playground. On Thursday, June 11, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a barbecue and live music performance at Ingleside Park. The final event will be a “Meet The Counselors Night” on Thursday, June 18 at Ingleside Park.
Fantastic field trips
One of the highlights of the Summer Park Program is the weekly field trip. Among the destinations this summer are Canobie Lake Park, Water Country, Spectacle Island, East Coast Paddling in Marblehead, and River Kayaking in Medford.
Driscoll and Bestford bring sports backgrounds to program
Driscoll is in his 28th year as the town’s parks and recreation director. He is well known for being the former Winthrop High School head football coach and the current head football coach at St. Mary’s High School. Driscoll was an assistant on Tony Fucillo’s staff when the Vikings won the Super Bowl in 2006. Driscoll’s St. Mary’s Spartans were Super Bowl champions in 2002. His mother, Rita Driscoll, was a longtime and popular employee at Town Hall.
Bestford grew up in the village of Centerville in the town of Barnstable, the largest community on Cape Cod. Bestford was a tremendous hockey player for top-ranked Barnstable High School, continuing her stellar career in Curry College club hockey one year before Athletic Director Vinnie Eruzione of Winthrop launched the Colonels’ varsity women’s hockey program. Bestford, who holds a degree in Community Education (a perfect match for her position in Winthrop), is beginning her third summer in the Summer Park Program.
(Registration and other Summer Park Program information can be found at www.winthroprec.com.)