Since 1985, people in the United States have celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation and to recognize the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals — along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers — that maintain our country’s local, state and community parks.

This year’s theme, “Build Together, Play Together” is a reminder of the contributions of more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals — along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers — who maintain our country’s close-to-home parks.  Each July, we celebrate park and recreation professionals and how they improve the lives of tens of millions of people, making a lasting impact in communities across the country.  Park and recreation programs are essential to community health and well-being, and help cultivate lifelong friendships, memories and family bonds that people hold dear decades later. 

This July marks NRPA’s 40th annual Park and Recreation Month!  Let’s unite and share the many reasons why local park and recreation agencies are truly places to build and play together.