The kids are home from school and the sun is beckoning you to enjoy — it’s time to celebrate summer! The month of July is National Park and Recreation Month; what other way is there to celebrate summer than to go on a picnic, host a football game with family and friends or take the kids to a playground and bask in the sunshine? On top of that, you can reap the many benefits from just visiting a park and having fun because getting outdoors can:
• reduce stress
• improve cardiovascular health
• decrease feelings of depression
• ward off obesity
• lower your body mass index
• lower systolic blood pressures
• decrease your doctor visits
Throughout the country, several state park and recreation associations are hosting an array of events throughout the month to help celebrate National Park and Recreation Month in creative and fun ways.
The South
Metro Parks, in Louisville, Kentucky will be offering great prizes for answering daily weekday trivia questions through its Facebook, Twitter and Flickr sites. Prizes include, but are not limited to passes for free rounds of golf and free swimming at Metro Parks’ pools, tennis rackets from the Louisville Tennis Center, pottery from the Metro Arts Center and campground/program passes to Jefferson Memorial Forest. The Louisville Zoo, Belle of Louisville and Transit Authority of River City have also donated prizes for the trivia contests. The prizes will be sent through the mail and winners will be notified by Metro Parks’ staff directly, and the winner of the day, will be announced each day, along with the question and answer,
here. For more information, visit
louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks. (Hint Hint: clues can be found on the Metro Parks Web Site).
In Corpus Christi, Texas, the Morale Committee of Corpus Christi will be hosting several events like a Family Picnic Celebration, a softball game, a horseshoe tournament and plenty of kids’ activities at a local park. There will also be a City of Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Appreciation Family Night featuring a local semi-professional baseball team. For more information, click
here.
Grand Prairie, Texas is celebrating with several activities lined up for the month, like free garden tours at the RJC Garden, putt-putting contests, free boat launches, lessons on how to garden with a guru or go fishing at Lynn Creek and much more! For more information, click
here.
If you reside in Florida they have a big treat for you: on Sunday, July 19, admission to all Florida State Parks will be absolutely FREE! For more information, visit
floridastateparks.org. The same day, you can also enjoy a guided walk through the Maritime Hammock and learn about the history of the area from a park ranger at at 10 a.m., take the kids on a
children’s fishing workshop or go on a leisurely walk through the gardens at
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park with the whole family! Also, the Friends of Washington Oaks will be hosting their Saturday plant sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m on July 19 as well. At the sale you’ll be able to purchase many of the plants that you’ll have discovered throughout your tour of the gardens. Or you can enjoy a guided tour of the Timucuan Indians and their relationship with the land that they loved. Enjoy stories about their everyday lives, explore a 1500’s Timucuan Camp and their living history and experience the food, clothing and shelter all for free on July 19!
The North
Howard County, Maryland will be hosting an array of events throughout the month to celebrate as well: Wednesdays’ Sunset Serenades and the Travelin’ Bands series (July 10 in Savage Park and July 24 at Patapsco Female Institute), the county’s Annual Butterfly Count on July 18 and the 4th Annual Dragonfly Count on July 25. For more information, click
here.
The City of Cincinnati will be hosting a special day of fun, filled with activity booths, lawn games, free skating and much more. This day of family fun will be held Friday, July 17, at Sawyer Point from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. You’ll also be able to cool off with the new Otto Armleder Fountain (formerly known as the Concourse Fountain). And while you’re there, be sure to get the scoop on what else will be going on around town for the month through the many local recreation and park organizations that will be on site.
West Coast
Albany Parks & Recreation Department, in Oregon, has some activities of its own planned for the month of July: River Rhythms concerts at Monteith River Park (July 5, 12 and 26 and at the Linn County Fair, July 19), Mondays @ Monteith concerts (July 9, 16, 23 and 30), Red White and Blue barbeque at the Senior Center July 18 and a Lower McKenzie River float trip July 21. For more information, click
here.
Midwest
Olathe Parks & Recreation, in Kansas, will be featuring Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm for their National Parks & Recreation Month celebration -- it is the only working stagecoach stop left on the Santa Fe Trail. Starting July 11 and running through the weekend of August 17, Olathe Parks & Recreation will be hosting live history activities at Mahaffie every weekend (Friday-Saturday). Farmin’ Fridays will feature activities like, churning butter, grinding corn and cutting firewood, Trailside Saturdays will be about life on the Western trails and Sundays will focus on 19th Century games, like croquet, parlor games and period toys. For more information, click
here.
Lafayette, Colorado is getting into the celebratory summer spirit with a fun activity planned for every day in July. Come and participate in events like self-led scavenger hunts, free body combat classes, fishing at Waneka Lake, community picnics, free gymnastics classes, a concert series at Waneka Lake Park and much more! For more information, visit
cityoflafayette.com.
Get UP! And Go!
So there is officially no excuse to why July shouldn’t be filled with summer fun for you and your family and friends! Wherever you are, plan a weekend to get out and celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month while enjoying the great three Fs: Family, Food & Fun! For more information on parks and recreation centers near you, be sure to visit your local community’s park and recreation association site.