The Covington Aquatic Center will hold a celebration of its 35th anniversary of opening at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 3.

The Covington Aquatic Center opened its doors to the public on March 3, 1977.

Originally owned and operated by King County, it was transferred to the city of Covington in 2004 and serves as one of the community’s only recreation facilities.

With a staff of 30, the Covington Aquatic Center serves over 80,000 swimmers each year through programs including the award-winning Aquatics Volunteer Academy, American Red Cross swimming lessons, annual events like April Pool’s Day and the Spooky Swim.

In 2006 and 2007, the city invested in improvements for the Covington Aquatic Center that have given the facility a much needed facelift and extended its lifespan so the community can continue to enjoy aquatic recreation.

This project earned Covington Aquatic Center the 2008 Washington Recreation and Parks Association Spotlight Facility and Park Award.

The improvement project was extensive and included, among other upgrades, re-plastering and re-tiling of the pool, painting of the natatorium, installation of whale artwork, and replacement of underwater lights with energy efficient LED lights.

Since the completion of that project, the city has continued making improvements including upgrading the HVAC system and re-tiling the public locker rooms.

The Covington Aquatic Center is located at 18230 SE 240th St. For more information about the 35th Anniversary Celebration, call (425) 413-POOL(7665) or email enewton@covingtonwa.gov.