July is National Parks & Recreation Month, and the City of Lexington’s Division of Parks & Recreation is celebrating with a full calendar of events and programs, as well as collaborative releases each Friday with local businesses that fund planting trees in parks.
National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) designated July as National Parks & Recreation Month beginning in 1985. The month-long celebration is the perfect time to explore, enjoy, and celebrate local parks, facilities, events, and programs.
“We’re excited to celebrate National Parks & Recreation Month with a calendar full of events and programs for people of all ages,” Parks & Recreation Director Monica Conrad said. “Between our Fourth of July festivities kicking off the month and the many concerts, camps, golf courses, pools, community centers, and many other events and programs – there's no shortage of ways to celebrate with us no matter your interests! July is a great month to get out and play and see all that Parks & Recreation offers!”
In addition to a robust schedule of events and programs, Lexington Parks & Recreation has partnered with local businesses to release a collaborative product each Friday in July. A portion of proceeds from each product will fund planting trees in local parks around the city.
“Lexington loves its parks, and these businesses were excited to work with us to not only raise awareness around National Parks & Recreation Month, but also make a positive impact on their local park by raising funds to plant trees” said Paul Hooper, Information Office Supervisor for Lexington Parks & Recreation. “We want to extend our thanks to Rayann’s Popcorn, West Sixth Brewing, The Futile Bakery, Sorella Gelateria, and A Cup of Commonwealth/Magic Beans Coffee for their continued support of our parks. We encourage those who can to visit these businesses and try all the delicious products they have planned throughout July!”
The collaborative release schedule can be found below. For a full schedule of events and programs planned throughout the month, visit lexingtonky.gov/parks.
Parks & Recreation Month Collaboration Release Schedule
Friday, July 1 – Rayann’s Popcorn – 101 W. Loudon Ave.
Strawberries & Cream Popcorn
funding trees in Castlewood Park
Friday, July 8 – West Sixth Brewing – 501 W. 6th St.
Oak-aged Prickly Pear Wild Sour Beer
funding trees in Coolavin Park
Friday, July 15 – The Futile Bakery – 399 Waller Ave. Ste. 130
Blackberry Jam Doozie
funding trees at Elizabeth Street Park
Friday, July 22 – Sorella Gelateria – 591 W. Short St.
Blackberry Gelato
funding trees at Woodland Park
Friday, July 29 – A Cup of Commonwealth – 105 Eastern Ave.
Unique Coffee Blend
funding trees at Northeastern Park
Parks & Recreation, a division of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, oversees the programming, maintenance, and development of over 100 city parks and natural areas, six pools, five golf courses, community centers, recreational programs, and three arts venues. To find out more, follow @LexKYParks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or sign up for the email newsletter.