GWINNETT COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION CELEBRATES PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH IN JULY!

By Gwinnett Park Life on July 4, 2014@gwinnettparks

July is designated National Park and Recreation Month and Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation (GCPR) began the celebration with a Board of Commissioners’ proclamation held on July 1, followed by special events including music, games, swimming, food and more the rest of the month. This year’s theme, “OUT is IN,” encourages individuals, families, friends and coworkers to do something outside every day that they would normally do inside. The parks in Gwinnett county offer ample opportunities to go outside, get inspired, change the outlook and get involved.

Nearly three in 10 U.S. adults do not spend time outside on a daily basis and of those who do, almost half spend less than 30 minutes in the fresh air according to a new survey released by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This July, GCPR and NRPA are challenging everyone to get out and visit their community parks with various events. There will be ongoing events like Walk the Talks, Kid’s Art Show and Flat Ray, Flat Rosie and Flat Rosco. The characters’ coloring pages can be downloaded from www.gwinnettparks.com or young artists can stop by any of the Community Recreation Centers to pick up coloring pages to participate throughout the month. GCPR is encouraging everyone to have their pictures taken with the characters and email them to parks@gwinnettcounty.com to be featured on the website throughout the month. GCPR is also sponsoring an art show featuring artwork submitted by park patrons to any Community Recreation Center. The art will be displayed throughout the month of July. Other events are below:

July 1 – 4, Swim Safely Week at various Gwinnett County Aquatic Facilities with games, activities and prizes given throughout the week.
July 9, Art Therapy at 5:30 p.m. at Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center. Therapeutic recreation to encourage creative expression through art while working on eye-hand coordination and improving social skills. Pre-register at 678-277-0920. Cost is $11 per person.
July 11, Brown Bag Concert at Gwinnett Historic Courthouse at 11 a.m. featuring Scott Douglas. This is a free event featuring entertainment and activities.
July 12, Be at the Movies at 5 p.m. at Rhodes Jordan Park. Grab a blanket, pack a picnic and gather the family to enjoy games and activities before watching Rio 2 on the big screen. This is a free event. Call 678-277-0900 for information. There will be a Walk the Talk at 4 p.m. as well.
July 14, Family Night at Mountain Park Aquatic Center at 6:30 p.m. and at Best Friend Park Pool and Gym at 7 p.m. with music, games and a night swim. Regular pool admissions apply. Call 678-277-0870 or 770-417-2202 for more information.
July 18, Kid’s Night Out at 6 p.m. at Mountain Park Activity Building and George Pierce Park with cool activities, pizza, crafts and more. Event is for ages 7 – 13 and is $12/child. Pre-register by July 7 by calling 678-277-0179 for Mountain Park Activity Building or 678-277-0910 for George Pierce Park.
July 19, Dog Daze of Summer at Rabbit Hill Park from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. celebrating National Hot Dog Day and National Ice Cream Day. This free event will feature inflatables, vendors, food, kid’s activities, dog games, duck races and music. There will be a Walk the Talk at 9 a.m. before the festivities.
July 26. NFL’s Punt, Pass & Kick at Rhodes Jordan Park at 9 a.m. with local competition to determine top scores in each age group to advance to sectional competition. This event is free and open to boys and girls ages 6 – 15. There will be a Walk the Talk at 8 a.m. Call 678-277-0890 for more information.

In addition to getting involved in National Park and Recreation Month locally, people are encouraged to take the OUT is IN 31-day social media challenge on Twitter and Instagram by posting photos of themselves doing typical inside activities outside with the hashtag #JulyOUTisIN. To learn more about getting OUTside and INvolved during National Park and Recreation Month, visit www.gwinnettparks.com and www.nrpa.org/July.