Three on three basketball tournaments. Live music. Arts. Sneakers. These are all part of Hoops on the Ave., a partnership between Wicomico County Recreation & Parks and the Mizzle House Foundation.
Hoops on the Ave. is an outdoor family-friendly festival celebrating the culture surrounding the sport of basketball. It’s set for Sunday, May 28, outside the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury. The event will run from 12-8 p.m.
“The positive feedback and support we received in year one of this event was really incredible to see,” said Recreation Superintendent James Simmons. “Hoops on the Ave. is all about celebrating hoops culture – the music, the art, the kicks, the food and of course the basketball.”
Registration is now open for the event’s 3v3 basketball tournaments, which has expanded to feature seven divisions: Elite Men’s, Men’s Rec, Men’s Over 35, Women’s, High School Girls and High School Boys. High School divisions must have an adult coach.
Each team is guaranteed three games. Prize money will be awarded in the adult divisions: $2,000 for Elite Men’s and $400 each for Men’s Rec, Men’s Over 35 and Women’s. Teams can have up to four members and will play half-court games in the Civic Center parking lot.
Registration is $125 for teams in the Elite Men’s division, $100 for Men’s Rec, Men’s Over 35 and Women’s, and $75 for High School and Middle School teams. Register by May 13; space is limited.
The festival is free to attend and will include food vendors; interactive art activities; live hip hop, reggae and go-go music; a sneaker marketplace; and a kids’ area.
“We’re continuing our goal of cultivating an experience that brings all of these elements together right here on the Eastern Shore,” said Mizzle House Vice President Andrew Davis. “There’s no better place to kick off the summer than at Hoops on the Ave.”
To learn more, register a team or sign up as a vendor, visit www.bit.ly/Hoops_on_the_Ave. For more information or to become a sponsor, email Simmons at jsimmons@wicomicocounty.org.
Attached photo: Basketball games being played at the inaugural Hoops on the Ave. event. This year’s event will take place Sunday, May 28.
