We surveyed parks and recreation folks to hear what you love about your work to help celebrate Parks and Recreation month.

It’s that time of year again, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the amazing work you do in your communities every single day.

Happy Parks and Recreation Month!

To help celebrate we asked you about your favorite parks and recreation activities to drive engagement in your local communities.

So, what’s your favorite parks and recreation activity to drive engagement?

Special Events

Far and away the most overwhelming response to this question was around the special events you get to have in your communities.

Specifically, a lot folks mentioned free, or low cost events which provide your communities a low-barrier way to get involved.

“Special events and festivals” and “supporting tournaments and community events” were among the most frequent answers.

Rosanna O'Blenis, from the City of Brampton in Ontario said:

Keeping those events approachable for all members of the community was also mentioned: “Low or no cost programming at neighborhood community centers that is tailored to community interests.”

Nicole Walchuk, from the City of Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan had this to say:

“Special events bring out volunteers, community spirit, cooperation, collaboration and shared goals and aspirations in the Community. Often organizers and spectators alike want to add to the event making the next one bigger and better! It's amazing what can be accomplished when working together as a community!"

The theme of bringing people together came up a lot with some specifically mentioning: “City-wide special events, as they bring all ages, genders, and cultures together” and others mentioning “taking the ‘centers’ to the neighborhoods by ‘popping up’ with activities in neighborhood parks, playgrounds and schools.”

Another callout was the opportunity to partner with local businesses. “The events that we offer that can be supported by local businesses. These same businesses are visited by our park visitors so the excitement is a common thread between us all.”

The excitement and energy of a local event or festival came through in all the responses, and some specifically mentioned this around new programs or facilities.

W. Lee Jones, Jr. from Mecklenburg County in North Carolina called out:

Festivals and special events are a great chance to see all your hard work in action. Seeing your community members engaging in and celebrating with you is an incredible moment and a reminder to give yourselves a pat on the back for all you do every day.

Getting Folks Active

Another strong theme in the responses was giving the people in your community an opportunity to get active.

On the theme of staying active, folks called out “walking trails and exercise stations”, “visiting parks and walking the trails”, swimming, and soccer as areas of interest.

Helping your community get and stay active is a huge passion for a lot of y’all and seeing that in action can be incredibly gratifying.

Someone also mentioned the importance of getting out into your community and seeing how folks are engaging with your offering:

"Observing people using a park or facility — not announcing who I am. Listening to their sidebar conversations, and spending time blending in so I get to know my community. Then I can truly talk to them about things that matter to them and engage them on the items they want to see improved."

Thank You

Thanks to you for everything you do. Your work truly brings your communities to life and we’re proud to support you in doing that.

If you want to learn more about how Xplor Recreation can help better engage your clients and make life easier for your team, chat with someone on our team today!