No person in Waukegan lives more than a 10-minute walk from a park or green space making it easy to take a break from daily routines attached to an electronic device and relax a little.
Shelby McDonald, the Waukegan Park District’s director of marketing and community relations, said the proximity of parks and other green spaces offers everyone the opportunity to relax when needed.
“This is designed to give everyone a chance to refresh with the outdoors rather than push a refresh button on an electronic device,” she said. “You can connect with people, not your phone.”
People in Waukegan and across the state will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities on the sixth-annual Unplug Illinois Day Saturday with specific events in Waukegan and opportunities to create individual happenings.
“It’s a day to encourage people to unplug from their electronic devices and plug into play, creativity and adventures with family and friends which are free in local parks,” McDonald said.
With 52 park properties — which include 34 playgrounds encompassing 740 acres — she said there are abundant opportunities to take a break and relax at no cost.
Aside from individually organized activities, the Park District is sponsoring two events Saturday and the city of Waukegan is holding its annual Scoop, with approximately 1,000 classic cars on display along with music and food.
Yoga on the Beach, a joint effort of the city and the Park District, takes place at 8 a.m. at Waukegan Beach, where participants will be led in yoga moves by instructor Marlene Runyard. McDonald said it is a good way to start the day.
“It is the perfect exercise to practice unplugging,” she said.
A less strenuous unplugging event is Movies in the Park, where the show starts at dusk Saturday at Bowen Park but there are activities like Arts Park beforehand to keep families entertained.
Scoop takes place from noon to 9 p.m. in downtown Waukegan. David Motley, the city’s public relations director, said it is a place where people will be able to unplug from their electronic devices there and get some exercise, too.
“Scoop is a great way to connect with friends in a real social environment,” he said. “You will have the opportunity to walk four blocks up and down Genesee Street while seeing a mobile museum of classic cars.”
When the Illinois General Assembly created Unplug Illinois Day in 2018, state Sen. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, said in a press release from the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association the day is also meant to help individuals with their mental health by unplugging for a little while.
“It is so easy to get caught up in our phones and electronics that we forget to take time to take care of our mental health and connect with nature,” Fine said in the release. “Having a day dedicated to unplugging from our devices will help us reconnect with our environment, our friends and ourselves.”
McDonald said Unplug Illinois Day is a statewide event sponsored by the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association.
