As families gather for picnics and ball games and swimming at Elgin parks this holiday weekend, Parks and Recreation Department officials hope they’ll snap a photo or two and share a memory for the city’s social media campaign at #discoverelginparks.
July is National Parks and Recreation Month, a celebration of “everything that makes the parks and recreation industry shine,” Parks and Recreation Director Maria Cumpata said. “This year’s theme, ‘Where You Belong,’ bolsters the fact that people of all ages and abilities can find their place within our park system.”
The month also serves to highlight “the positive impact our parks and programs have on the community. We are proud to offer something for everyone in Elgin,” Cumpata said.
Snap a photo of you and your family enjoying one of Elgin’s park facilities, like the Festival Park Splash Pad, to share with the Elgin Parks and Recreation Department’s National Parks and Recreation Month campaign and be entered into a giveaway for four pool passes. (Gloria Casas/The Courier-News)
Parks and Rec launched a social media campaign to highlight the month with daily posts that will educate, promote and show what the city has to offer, she said.
Anyone who shares “their park adventures with us using the hashtag #discoverelginparks on social media (will) be entered in our giveaway for four, one day aquatic center passes,” Cumpata said. The contest ends at 9 p.m. Sunday, July 21.
Among the programs scheduled as part of the national month is a free family event called Unplug Illinois at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 13, at Wing Park and Lords Park aquatic centers. The idea is to unplug from electronics and enjoy the outdoors. Children’s activities, free popsicles, games and a scavenger hunt are among the activities planned.
They also will be holding a Hike with a Naturalist for families on Saturday, July 20, and offering special classes, including beginning horseback riding for adults, hip-hop and ballet classes and a one-day camp class for children. To register or get more details, go to elginil.gov/recreation.
Nearly 4,500 adults and children are enrolled in summer programs, and 775 season pool passes have been purchased, Cumpata said.
“These figures highlight the popularity and reach of our programs, but they don’t capture the full extent of community engagement,” she said. “We also offer five free ‘Drop-in Playground’ programs across various parks, which attract numerous children and families.”
It’s been a busy year for the Parks and Recreation Department. The Lords Park pool and the Festival Park splash pad both reopened this summer and work on the Elgin Sports Complex expansion is to begin later this year. The city also received a grant to plant 100 oak trees in Lords Park and a study is being done on building a new clubhouse at the Wing Park Golf Course.
“Our parks and recreation facilities, including public parks, trails, and both indoor and outdoor spaces, significantly enhance the quality of life in Elgin,” Cumpata said. “They provide places for families and friends to gather, opportunities for people to connect with nature, and spaces that promote physical and mental well-being.”
Residents Candi Espinosa and America Ayala found that to be true this week when they took a stroll around Lords Park and rested for a while under a couple of the facility’s 100-year-old oak trees.
“It’s very peaceful and relaxing,” Espinosa said.
Laughter from the nearby playground added to the ambience and didn’t disturb the calm, she said. She enjoys that Lords Park is a “very lively, active park.”
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
