The community that plays together stays together. That’s our motto at Gallatin Leisure Services.

One of the primary reasons Gallatin Leisure Services exists is to inspire a strong feeling of community among Gallatin residents. When neighbors gather for fun and recreation, memories are created, community bonds are strengthened and quality of life is elevated.

If you’re not a warm and fuzzy kind of person, you may be saying, “Eh, who cares about community bonds. How does this positively affect the city’s bottom line?”

Well, a tight-knit community that enjoys a high quality of life attracts a handful of big bottom-line factors like tourists, businesses, potential residents and investors. Are you interested in community bonding yet?

To foster neighborly bonds and attract the bottom-line influencers listed above, GLS hosts or organizes more than 50 events every year — a handful of which have become staples for Gallatin community fun.

To make sure you’re in the loop and can plan ahead, here’s a list of some of GLS’s premier annual events:

Biggest Loser: One of GLS’s most popular events is the Gallatin Civic Center’s (GCC) Biggest Loser challenge. GCC trainer Paul Jack typically hosts spring and fall sessions of the 8-week boot camp where participants shed an average of 15 pounds.

Here’s how it works: Paul and his team equip applicants with personal workout routines and meal plans. Then, every Saturday contestants meet, weigh in, work out together and learn about health and fitness. The fall session kicks off Sept. 9. Spots fill up quickly. If you’re interested, call the GCC and sign up today.

Pumpkin Splash: The Sunday before Halloween, your kindergarten through fifth grader can dive for a pumpkin in GCC’s indoor pool. After little Johnny and Suzie recover their pumpkins, family pumpkin decorating and swimming begins!

Letter from Santa: From mid-November through mid-December, your child can sign up to receive a personal letter from Santa! Drop by the GCC during this time to let Santa’s elves know little Johnny wants to join in the fun.

Christmas Craft Show: The third Saturday in November, shop and mingle at GCC’s Christmas Craft Show. It’s a local tradition you don’t want to miss. New vendors may submit their booth applications in August.

Summer Day Camp: When the kiddies get out of school for the summer, they have a place to go and have a good time — the GCC. From 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m., your child will play sports, swim and participate in various activities like talent shows and arts and crafts. From May through July, register your child (ages 6-12) for GCC’s Day Camp.

Kids Fishing Derby: The first Saturday in June, Gallatin kids (ages 5-16) may participate in a free fishing derby at Lock Four Point. Pre-registrants receive a special goody bag.

Rodeo: In mid-July, the rodeo comes to town. Festivities are held at Triple Creek Park’s event pavilion.

Recon Run: The first weekend in June, get the family together and participate in Gallatin’s obstacle course adventure run. You’ll run through mud, leap over obstacles and swing across monkey bars.

These are just a few of GLS’s events, and an even smaller cross-section of the many exciting events that go on in the great city of Gallatin every year. To make sure you’re always in the know, here are a few great sources for Gallatin events:

• GallatinLS.com: Find our upcoming events in the event section of our site.

• Gallatin-tn.gov: This is the city of Gallatin’s official site. View their calendar for council meetings and citywide events.

• Gallatintn.org: This is the Gallatin Chamber of Commerce’s site. They have a “calendar of events” tab that comes in handy.

• Nowplayingsumner.com: This is an all-inclusive event hub for Sumner County goings-ons. You can even submit your local events to the directory.

• VisitSumnerTennessee.com: This is the Sumner County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau site. They have a “things to do” tab that never fails.

• Mainstreetgallatin.com: Greater Gallatin is responsible for main attractions like Squarefest and the Palace Theater. They have a great events listing as well.

Danielle Eldredge is marketing manager for Gallatin Leisure Services. Contact her at danielle.eldredge@gallatin-tn.gov.