Mayor Bowser and DPR Launch Weekly Late Night Hype Summer Series, Highlight FY26 Investments in Parks and Recreation

(Washington, DC) - This week, Mayor Muriel Bowser, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are bringing back the popular Late Night Hype series - now with a weekly schedule to better meet the needs of teens and young adults across the District. In partnership with Beat the Streets, MPD's summer outreach initiative, this 10-week series will activate recreation centers and pools nearly every Friday night, and include music, food, video games, dancing and direct access to resources from social service agencies.

"We had a very successful three-day Holiday Hype over Memorial Day weekend, and now we are encouraging young people and their families to make Late Night Hype a regular part of their summer," said Mayor Bowser. "Late Night Hype is specifically designed for kids and teens, it's a place where young people can socialize and be supervised, and I'm grateful for the teams that work hard to make it a success each week."

The weekly summer series of Late Night Hype will kick off on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Friday, June 6, at Ridge Road Recreation Center (830 Ridge Road SE). The fun will continue nearly every Friday until August 22, from 7 pm - 11 pm. For more details and to RSVP, visit latenighthype2025.splashthat.com.

"At DPR, we truly believe that recreation is prevention. It brings people together and helps young people grow into their best selves," said Thennie Freeman, Director of the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. "Late Night Hype gives our youth a safe, welcoming space where they can be active, express who they are, and spend time with friends - right in the heart of their own neighborhoods."

Late Night Hype is a carnival-style evening event that provides young people with a safe and fun outlet to come together while fostering positive engagement with MPD. This summer, the series will also include special activations from MPD, such as performances by the Side by Side Band and access to community resources.

"Creating safe spaces for our young people to gather and recreate is one of the most important things we can do as a community," said Chief Pamela A. Smith, Metropolitan Police Department. "Late Night Hype allows us to show up, connect with our youth in a fun and engaging way, and build the kind of trust that keeps our neighborhoods safe and strong."

Late Night Hype 2025 Schedule:

Mayor Bowser's FY26 Budget: Grow DC continues her longstanding commitment to public safety and providing positive community engagement opportunities for the District's youth. The FY26 budget includes:

Investments in Libraries and Recreation Centers:

• $188M to support modernizations of 22 recreation centers, pools, and parks and $3M for planning and design of a new Olympic-sized heated outdoor pool at Carter Barron.
• $26.3M for small capital improvements at recreation centers, such as HVAC replacements, playground equipment updates, and roof repairs.
• $400K for stipends to DPR volunteer coaches to offset transportation, time, and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred with volunteer coaching.
• $166M to complete the modernization of 6 DCPL libraries.

Investments in Public Safety:

• $30M increase for MPD to hire more officers, create a new horse mounted unit, and purchase crime fighting technology and equipment.
• $2M for Safe Commercial Corridor grants.
• $7.3M increase for FEMS for critical firefighting gear and continuation of the life-saving pre-hospital blood infusion program.
• $1.3M to raise salaries of 911 and 311 call takers to $61,313 annually and $1M for call taker recruitment and retention bonuses.
• $1.6M for 258 mobile cameras and 111 license plate readers that can be used to increase safety for major events such as the upcoming America 250 Celebration.
• Legislation allowing MPD officers to be hired at DFS & retired MPD officers and/or FEMS firefighters to be hired at OUC.
• $46M to purchase FEMS fleet such as ambulances and fire trucks, and $33M for a fire boat replacement. $18M to purchase MPD fleet including cruisers and motorcycles.

Over the past decade, the Bowser Administration has invested more than $546 million into parks, pools, recreation centers, and playgrounds across all eight wards. And last month, for the fifth consecutive year, Washington, DC was named the number-one-ranked park system in the United States by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), which found that 21 percent of land in the District of Columbia is reserved for parks, among the highest in the United States. The District also scored well on TPL's park access metric, as more than 99 percent of District residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

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