Parks and Rec Director’s Column: Belonging With Us During Parks and Recreation Month

This July we’re celebrating Park and Recreation month. This year, the theme of the national event is “Where You Belong,” celebrating the many ways park and recreation professionals across the country foster a sense of belonging in their community by providing welcoming and inclusive programs, essential services for all ages and abilities, and safe, accessible spaces to build meaningful connections.

How can you belong? Check out these opportunities to connect with BPR, your neighbors and your community.

Community health and wellness

At our recreation centers over 54,000 people participated in our drop-in fitness classes and programs in 2023. Our Chair Yoga and Fit & Strong classes regularly have about 50 community members who attend. If you haven’t tried one of our drop-in classes, I encourage you to check them out. Maybe you’ll find your new favorite hobby or best friend.

This summer, we’re presenting Arts in the Park so you can enjoy arts performances large and small. We’ll host Boulder Symphony, Boulder Ballet, Boulder Opera and Boulder Philharmonic, in addition to many local arts organizations. Check out the schedule, buy tickets, and enjoy the community gathering to support the arts.

Building community and relationships

We have several amazing volunteer programs that help make our community beautiful. Last year, over 1,200 volunteers contributed more than 12,000 hours via programs like Flower Bed Champs, Park Champs, and supporting community members with disabilities through EXPAND programming. Learn how you can belong on our volunteer squad.

We are very excited to partner with Tanoa, Inc. for the new restaurant facility at Flatirons Golf Course this summer called Ironwood Bar and Grille. Flatirons is a place where everyone belongs - see the latest information on the opening celebration, menu and more online.

Youth engagement and activities

It’s time for summer activities. We have camps at our rec centers, the Boulder Reservoir, Valmont Bike Park and more. Spruce and Scott Carpenter pools and the Reservoir will be ready for summer play. If you, your kids, and/or family are looking for a fun place to belong and have fun, we have a place for you!

And a huge shout out to all the community members who will be part of our team this summer, making sure the community has a lot of fun. Our hiring campaign theme this year is “Play here, work here, grow here” celebrating that BPR is a great place to work and belong. If you or someone you know wants to join our team, check our open positions at BPRjobs.org.

Thank you for celebrating Park and Recreation Month with us, honoring our amazing teammates who promote health and well-being all year long.

Be well,

Ali