Bright Futures for Youth will celebrate the grand opening of the NEO Youth Center on Litton Hill at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 – and the community’s commitment to fund and support a safe and supervised space for young people in Nevada County.

The NEO Youth Center is located on the ground floor of the Bright Futures for Youth campus at 200 Litton Drive in Grass Valley.

Free food, from grilled cheese sandwiches to CoCo’s Lazy Dog Ice Cream, and numerous activities – including a ball pit, bounce house, corn hole, gaga ball, and Nerf zone – and tours of the NEO Youth Center are part of the
4-8 p.m. grand opening. And it’s a celebration of Lights on After School, a national event that highlights the importance of after-school programs.

The 3,700-square-foot NEO Youth Center – the first large youth center in Nevada County – includes a café, small stage, music room, a game area, a flex room for multiple uses and a patio. The NEO Youth Center is available for 11- to 25-year-old residents and offers a long list of after-school activities and occasional weekend events, from art workshops to live music and open-mic nights.