Celebrating July is Parks & Rec Month and 65 Amazing Years!

Each July since 1985, America has celebrated Parks and Recreation Month, a program of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). The goal is to raise awareness of the vital impact that parks, recreation, and conservation have on communities across the U.S. ​​​That impact was never greater than this past year and a half when COVID shook the world and people turned to parks and our digital forums in record numbers for sanctuary. Like always, we found innovative ways to deliver services and provide much-needed outlets to the community because that is simply what we’re all about!

In addition to Parks & Rec Month, we’re also celebrating 65 glorious years as a department! Every park, natural area, and recreation center has a history made up of thousands of stories that help to define it. All month, we are asking you to share your park and recreation stories and to get out and create new ones…and with more than 280 parks and 7 incredible community recreation centers, there is no shortage of ways to play and enjoy nature in Virginia Beach!​

We love hearing how our parks and other facilities are at the center of so many of your meaningful experiences and memories. We really aim to provide a true sense of community in these spaces where you feel welcome, relaxed, supported, and at home. What memories do our parks and rec centers stir up for you?

Your child’s first swim lesson…

Achieving a health goal that meant you could get off your diabetes medication…

Making a double play that won your team the game…

Meeting someone who ended up becoming a lifelong friend…

A family picnic where everyone laughed so hard that their cheeks hurt…

Seeing a sunset that made the challenging day just melt away into the horizon…

Rec center member, Brenda Harris shared this:

“I swam laps at Bayside Rec Center the day they opened in May 1992 and have been swimming there ever since. (I swam at the old Kempsville Rec Center and Great Neck Rec Center before Bayside opened.) I don't know what I'd do without "my" pool. Thank you to Parks & Rec for the FABULOUS opportunities you provide us every day in so many places in our wonderful city. Nowhere does it better!”

Share your memories on our digital forum and read more like Brenda’s!

Another way to get in the Parks & Rec Month action is to play a little game of Where is Barks? Take the quiz to test your knowledge of some of our most visited spots and be entered to win an 18-inch Barks & Rex plushie (he’s way cute, y’all!)

In both times of prosperity and challenge, Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation has been here for 65-years delivering legendary customer service and prioritizing health, accessibility, inclusion, and our natural environment. With the incredible support from the Virginia Beach community and our City leadership, we’ll continue doing it for years to come and leaving a legacy of wellness for future generations! We hope you’ll join us in this celebration of memories and activities all month long!

For pop-up event information, a curated list of 65-ways to experience Parks & Rec, a fitness & wellness challenge, and more Parks & Rec Month awesomeness, visit VBgov.com/July.