Five Ways to Celebrate July as Parks & Recreation Month in Virginia Beach

It’s Parks & Recreation Month! Each July since 1985, America has celebrated Parks & Recreation Month, a program of the National Recreation and Park Association, to raise awareness of the vital impacts that parks, recreation and conservation have on communities across the United States.

Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation (VBPR) is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and protecting our coastal environment. Managing nearly 300 city park sites, more than 7,000 acres of parks and natural areas, seven community recreation centers, a municipal marina and an athletic complex, VBPR offers year-round recreational opportunities, not just in July.

Get Outdoors

Discover a world of outdoor fun, with swimming, fishing, hiking and biking surrounded by Virginia's breathtaking natural beauty. Virginia Beach has more than 7,000 acres of parks and natural areas, including community parks, metro parks, signature parks, natural areas, waterway access sites, multiuse trails, open space preservation areas, skate parks, dog parks, park athletic facilities and even a former mountain of trash.

Be sure to check out the newly renovated Level Green Park. Beat the heat and cool down at the new sprayground, open 9 a.m. to sunset during the summer season. The sprayground includes arching water sprayers, tall vertical water features that mist and splash, ground-level bubbling jets, sculptural aqua-colored play elements and an open splash zone. 

Explore all our parks with the free VB ParkFinder app, available for free from Google Play and the Apple Store, or view the mapped-base version online.

Get Active

Virginia Beach’s seven state-of-the-art community recreation centers are nestled conveniently throughout the city. Offering an array of programs and activities, from drop-in group fitness classes and swim lessons to martial arts and archery, VBPR has something for everyone. Just ask the more than 80,000 members using Virginia Beach’s seven recreation centers. And did we mention childcare is included with a membership? Join today!

Also take advantage of free, pop-up group fitness classes with FitPop, which brings fitness directly to the community with a mobile fitness van that travels to parks, venues and events across the city. This new initiative offers fitness classes designed to make movement, wellness and fun more accessible for everyone. No recreation center membership is required to participate.   

Play Ball (or Another Sport!)

Parks & Recreation offers a variety of adult sports leagues and partners with 12 volunteer community recreation associations to offer a wide range of youth sports leagues. Experience the thrill of friendly competition and participate in sports such as basketball, pickleball, softball, flag football, volleyball, water polo and more.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete, a beginner looking to get active or wanting to unlock your child’s potential and ignite a passion for sports, VBPR offers several leagues to keep you engaged and motivated.

Play All Night

Residents are invited to FREE, family fun at Level Green Park, Rosemont Elementary School and Bettie F. Williams Elementary School this summer. Parks After Dark kicked off a summer of fun in June and will run through Aug. 22. On Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays, 6-10 p.m., families can enjoy a variety of activities each week, watch movies under the stars, play games such as lawn darts, dodgeball and cornhole, meet their neighbors and local community organizations and try food from a range of local food trucks. Here is the remaining schedule:

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 6-10 p.m. 

• Through Aug. 22 
  • Level Green Park, 1520 Level Green Blvd.
  • Bettie F. Williams Elementary School, 892 Newtown Road (moved from Williams Farm Park as of July 9)
• Through Aug. 8
  • Rosemont Elementary School, 1257 Rosemont Road 

Parks After Dark was created to help establish a safe space for fun and family-friendly activities during evening hours when fewer activities are available for teens. The park program brings together a wide range of community groups and resources for attendees, including the Mayor's Youth Violence Prevention Task Force, local neighborhoods and civic leagues, City departments including Virginia Beach Public Library, Police, Cultural Affairs, Human Services and Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

Recreation center membership is not required to take part in Parks After Dark.

Party at the Pier

What’s a celebration without a party? And Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation knows how to throw one. The annual Party at the Pier summer event series in Sandbridge kicked off in June and there is still so much to celebrate this month. Head to Little island Park and join VBPR for FREE movie nights on the sand starting at 8:30 p.m. on July 14 and July 21, and concerts at 6 p.m. on July 16 and July 23. These free and accessible events celebrate music, film and family fun throughout the summer.

For more information about Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation and more ways you can celebrate Parks & Recreation month, visit Parks.VirginiaBeach.gov.

• Parks & Recreation