It’s time to swing into spring.
    The Statesboro-Bulloch County Parks and Recreation Department and Alltel Wireless will host the 12th annual “Swing into Spring” celebration beginning at 5 p.m. Friday at Mill Creek Regional Park. The event is free to the public and is the official opening of baseball and softball season.
    Entertainment —  including music, interactive games and bounce houses —  will be organized throughout the park.
    The traditional first pitch of the season will be thrown. The celebration close with a fireworks show.
    Following the fireworks, Alltel Wireless will be presenting a “movie in the park” on Field 1. The featured movie is “Despicable Me.”
    Swing into Spring has become a Parks and Recreation Department tradition to kick off the baseball and softball seasons with a parade of players.
    The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. with inflatable games and other attractions taking place at Field 1. Exhibition games between recreational teams will begin at 5:30. The parade of players will begin at 7:45, with fireworks to follow.
    Swing into Spring has become a hit with the public.
    With a large crowd expected to attend, the following traffic plan will be in place:
    ck entrance to the park will be used for exiting only. No traffic will be allowed to enter or exit during the fireworks display.
        Traffic exiting the main park entrance will be directed left onto Georgia Highway 24 and go straight to Veterans Memorial Parkway for access to U.S. highways 80 and 301.
        Traffic using the back exit of Mill Creek will turn right onto Brannen Street and then left onto Beasley Road toward Highway 80. Once all cars have exited from Mill Creek Regional Park, traffic from Mill Creek Elementary School will be directed right onto Beasley Road to Highway 80. 
        Traffic exiting from Statesboro Bible Baptist Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church and Barnes Lumber will be directed right onto Highway 24 to the bypass for access to highways 80 and 301. Exiting preference will be given to people parked in designated areas within Mill Creek Regional Park.
    Sponsors for the event include Alltel Wireless, Coca-Cola, Northland Cable, Statesboro Rotary Club, Subway, Zaxby’s, Franklin Chevrolet, Chick-fil-A and United Rentals. For more information and a full schedule of events, call (912) 764-5637 or visit www.bullochrec.com.