Branford Park & Recreation will host two opening ceremonies this Saturday, Dec. 1.

At noon on Saturday, Dec. 1, Branford Parks & Recreation, along with the Short Beach Association, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the newly renovated Pardee Park in Branford's Short Beach neighborhood. First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove, along with Parks & Recreation Director Alex Palluzzi, as well as Branford's State Representative-Elect Robin Comey (D, District 102) who is also an outgoing member of Branford's Representative Town Meeting (RTM) in District 3 (Short Beach); and RTM District 3 Representative Peter Black, will be on hand to celebrate the park's state-of-the-art equipment, including full handicap-accessibility, which is the product of grass-roots fundraising, civic support and neighborhood teamwork.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, Branford Parks & Recreation will open a new Gaga Ball Pit at Foote Park. The Gaga Ball Pit is the Eagle Scout project of local resident Joe Loffredo. Gaga Ball is a fast paced high energy activity, known as the gentler version of dodge ball. Branford's Gaga Ball Pit is the first handicapped-accessible Pit on the shoreline. Loffredo has been working for months on this project which will benefit both children and adults, and was specifically designed to be all-inclusive.