AJ Jolly Park has more than tripled its number of season passes in the last 11 years.
Last year was the 60th anniversary of AJ Jolly Park. Parks and Recreations Manager Larry Harrod said they have averaged 3,600 season passes in the past three years—which he contributed to the programming and upgrades the park sees year over year.
On Wednesday, Harrod presented the 2023 annual parks report to the Campbell County Fiscal Court. The report highlighted some improvements made in the county’s parks and things to look forward to in the new year.
“Beyond those 3,600, which, by the way, is an impressive number, there are 1000s of people that are out there for the various festivals and events,” Campbell County Judge Executive Steve Pendery said.
At 1,000 acres, AJ Jolly is one of the state’s biggest, if not the biggest, county parks, according to Campbell County.
Watercraft rentals on the lake continued to grow last year, according to Harrod. The park started with two kayaks and now has 24 single and five double kayaks, two paddleboats, two stand-up paddleboards, and two canoes to rent. Harrod said they are all out being used on the lake during the summer.
With the help of Cincy Paddlers, the park offered two kayaking workshops, one at the beginning and one at the end of the season.
From their yearly survey, Harrod said fishing is getting more interest at the park, with people looking for more bass, which they restocked in the fall. They also put in a new boat ramp on the lake last year.
“The new ramp that was put in, I haven’t heard anything but compliments now as far as the fisherman putting in boats,” Harrod said.
The campground road was repaved last year, and several campground sites got water and electricity to be used by campers. In the yurt village, the county added two more yurts with decks to the site. The yurts are available to rent and are fully furnished with electricity.
“The two new ones are the most popular at this point because of the view of the lake and the decks,” Harrod said.
AJ Jolly Park and Golf Course and Pendery Parks received free public Wi-Fi service in 2023—an extension to the fiber bill with AltaFiber.
“It’s a testament that the park is one of those places that almost the entirety of the fiscal court come together,” Campbell County Commissioner Geoff Besecker said. “You’ve got the facility group that’s coming in. You’ve got the police that have to patrol the area. You’ve got the jailer who sends work crews there to assist your crew. Your staff, the fiscal court staff, and it’s just really a celebration of the good things going on here.”
The park’s main programs each year are:
- Jolly Thursdays: an event for kids on Thursdays in June and July. This event typically averages 268 participants each time per Harrod, with a high of 436.
- Jolly Music Night: A concert hosted at the park’s Stapleton Pavilion.
- Sun Valley Music Festival: This is a bluegrass music festival.
- Festival on the Lake: This event is a yearly concert series at the park.
- Halloween Spooktacular: Children 12 and under can trick or treat at the park.
Projects for this year include a new dump station for the campground, a new rentable shelter near the new ADA-accessible playground, and a new ADA-accessible playground (like the one at AJ Jolly) in Pendery Park.
