NRPA Proudly Recognizes Park and Recreation Professionals Day

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the nation's leading advocate for parks and recreation, is proud to recognize July 18, 2025, as national Park and Recreation Professionals Day. Part of NRPA's monthlong Park and Recreation Month celebration, themed "Build Together, Play Together," this special day honors park and recreation professionals nationwide.

Park and Recreation Professionals Day originally began with the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) as a statewide celebration in 2019. According to NRPA, more than 10,000 local park and recreation agencies in the United States employ more than 160,000 full-time staff and hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal employees.

‟This Park and Recreation Professionals Day, we celebrate the heart and soul of our communities - the professionals who show up every day with unwavering commitment, compassion and purpose," said Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO. "These individuals are the heroes behind some of the most powerful transformations in our neighborhoods - leading efforts that help communities build social connections, withstand climate impacts, recover from crises, and increase their health and well-being. They create safe spaces where people can find respite, reconnect and thrive. On Park and Recreation Professionals Day, and every day, we are proud to stand with them, celebrate their work, and say thank you for shaping a healthier, more resilient future for us all."

In collaboration with the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, NRPA launched "A Choice Career: Parks and Recreation," a campaign that highlights park and recreation professionals and their stories, showcasing the diverse opportunities in the park and recreation field. This partnership is dedicated to strengthening the park and recreation workforce and ensuring a vibrant future for the profession. View the video here.

Since 1985, people have celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote the importance of parks and recreation in health and well-being, conservation and equity, and to recognize the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals - along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers - who maintain our country's local, state and community parks.

Park and recreation professionals and agencies across the country recognize the month with summer programs, virtual events, contests, commemorations and more. NRPA encourages people who support parks and recreation to share their park and recreation story, as well as why their local park and recreation professionals are important to them, with the hashtag #BuildTogetherPlayTogether.

Learn more about Park and Recreation Month by visiting: nrpa.org/July.

Park and Recreation Month is proudly sponsored by USTA and Bobcat.

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About the National Recreation and Park Association

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates - the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA's flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit parksandrecreation.org.