From shredding on a skateboard to a guitar, the Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department is offering a new addition to its busy slate of events.

Parks & Rec staff recently announced the inaugural Battle at the Bridge is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 12, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Covered Bridge Park and will be primarily geared to the high school-aged children in the community.

“We always encourage our residents to come out and see what Elizabethton has to offer,” said Kelly Kitchens, Parks & Rec events coordinator. “We’ve seen so much success from events that are geared to just children and entire families. This is an event catered to the young adults in the community so that they can have something fun to do locally.”

The free community event, opened for all ages, will feature music on the Covered Bridge concert stage, professional skateboard and BMX demonstrations, games, vendors and various food trucks.

According to Kitchens, the nationally-recognized truth initiative — a national organization encouraging the youth to steer clear from tobacco products — will be in attendance for the event to offer young adults activities and other bits of information to encourage healthier living and to steer clear from harmful products.

Different organizations will also be set up at the event, including Shred Skateboard & BMX from Erwin, Middleman Skateboard Ministries, Backdoor Records and Pioneer Tattoo.

As the warmer months roll into the community, Parks & Rec often stays busy with different activities to showcase the different parks and natural beauty of Elizabethton. Following the Battle at the Bridge, the department will shift focus to Franklin Pool, the Tweetsie Trail Treasure Trip, Elizabethton Twins and maintaining local parks. Riverside Park recently received improvements and Harmon Park is slated to finish up in the coming weeks.

To learn more about the different events, visit the City of Elizabethton website.