Think of it as bowling with pizzazz. In a nod to the city's thriving Italian community, Sterling Heights is going all in on bocce — the bowling game that dates back thousands of years. Residents passed a recreation millage in 2016 to fund various amenities, including a new Bocce Barn.

The facility, at 40200 Utica Road behind the Sterling Heights Senior Center, will debut on Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Kyle Langlois, parks and recreation director for Sterling Heights, said the Bocce Barn is intended to provide a nontraditional means of recreation for people of all ages, especially those over 50.