BUCKHANNON – The Upshur County Pool will remain open on weekends beyond the planned Aug. 6 closing date.

At the July 28 Upshur County Commission meeting, commissioners approved a request from Parks and Recreation director Jeremiah McCourt to extend the seasonal employment for workers at the Buckhannon-Upshur Recreational Facility. The extension will allow the pool to remain open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 5.

“People have been asking, even before we opened, if we were going to be open through Labor Day,” McCourt said. “So we’re going to be open to parties on Friday evening, open all day Saturday, open all day Sunday, and open for parties on Saturday evening too.”

Pool parties must be reserved on the Upshur County scheduling application Rec Desk, which can be found here.

The hours of operation for the pool through August 6 are Monday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Costs are $5 per person, but $3 after 3 p.m. and $2 after 5 p.m. On Sundays and Family Fun Days, the park and pool will be open from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at a rate of $3 per person. Children two years old or younger won’t be charged an admission fee.

McCourt said the new Parks and Rec director position helped keep the pool open longer than in previous seasons.

“With this position, someone is dedicated to the pool and the parks, where before it was probably a teacher who was in this position, or someone going back to college,” McCourt said. “That would dictate when the pool would be closed, but this is one of my main priorities.”

If the extended open dates on the weekend go well, McCourt said they may keep the pool open all week during the extended period next year.

“Being able to do all the reservations online has helped tremendously,” he said. “In the past, people would call the administrative building or the pool or even the county commissioners, and it was all put on a Google Calendar. Now people can go online and have the freedom to be able to pick and choose, do everything and not worry about office hours.”

The concession stand also saw an expansion this season, and once the pool closes, McCourt will evaluate which items were the most popular and see what may need to change next year.

“At the end of the season, we’re going to have a little friendly fundraiser competition with Lewis County pool, with a ‘doggie dip,’ so on the last day or after we close for the season, you can actually bring your dog and let them swim in the pool,” McCourt said. “All the proceeds will go towards the Lewis-Upshur Animal Control Facility.”

The doggie dip is tentatively planned for Sept. 6 and more information about the pool and future events can be found on their Facebook page.