Celebrate July is Parks & Recreation Month with us!
July is when summer is in full motion. You can see it in the pool where families are making big splashes and even bigger memories, the sound of kids playing at the park, the R.E.C. Van rolling into neighborhoods, and families gathering for summer nights under the stars. Community centers stay busy, trails welcome walkers, runners, and cyclists of all ages, fields fill with practices and games, and parks become the places where everyday summer plans turn into something worth remembering.
That is The Power of Parks and Recreation.
It is play, movement, connection, and belonging happening all at once across the District. It’s a child building confidence in the water, seniors keeping up a walking routine, a teen finding a safe place to spend their summer, or a family discovering a new favorite park they had never visited before.
This July, Southgate Recreation & Park District is proud to join the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and communities across the country in celebrating Park and Recreation Month.
This year’s theme, “The Power Of…,” gives every community a chance to finish the sentence in its own way. In Southgate, we see the power of play in our parks and youth programs. We see the power of nature in trails, trees, open spaces, and quiet places to breathe. We see the power of belonging when families, seniors, young people, staff, volunteers, and neighbors all have a place to call their own.
And this year, that meaning runs even deeper!
As Southgate Recreation & Park District celebrates 70 Years in Motion, Park & Recreation Month becomes part of a larger story. For 70 years, residents have helped bring our parks to life through games, birthdays, practices, walks, conversations, celebrations, and everyday routines that turn public spaces into places that feel personal and vital to our health and growth.
This July, we invite you to step into that motion with us!
How You Can Be Part of the Celebration
Throughout July, we invite residents to visit a park, try something new, share a photo, and celebrate the programs and places that help keep Southgate connected.
Park Visit Challenge
Make this summer your reason to explore the Southgate Recreation & Park District. Visit a park you already love, stop by a park you have never seen before, take a walk on a trail, bring the kids to a playground, or plan a weekend park trip with family and friends.
Join the Park Visit Challenge between July 1–September 1, 2026. Use the Park Adventure Passport to track your park visits and see how many Southgate parks you can check off this summer.
Fill Out a Park & Recreation Month Participation Sheet
Stop by one of our community centers and ask the front desk for a Parks & Recreation Month Participation Sheet. Tell us how you’re participating in The Power of Parks & Recreation with the District, then turn it back in.
We’ll display the community’s sheets at our facilities as a shared celebration of the many ways residents use local parks, programs, community centers, pools, and open spaces.
Join the Photo Prompt Challenge
Follow along with our daily photo prompts on social media and share your point of view for Park & Recreation Month. Each day in July will have a different theme for your photo(s). Send us your photo or tag @southgaterecandpark and use #ThePowerOf and #ParkandRecMonth2026 so we can see and share how Southgate is celebrating Park & Recreation Month!
Follow Us on Social Media
Keep up with Park & Recreation Month activities, photo prompts, reminders, and community highlights by following @southgaterecandpark on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
You can pick up a copy of the Park Adventure Passport and participation sheet at the Southgate Administration Office, Jose P. Rizal Community Center, Fruitridge Community Center, and Pat O’Brien Community Center.
Keep the Celebration Moving Into August
July is only part of the celebration. This summer also leads us into a special milestone for Southgate Recreation & Park District as we celebrate our 70-Year Anniversary on August 27, 2026.
The community is invited to join us in our anniversary season of events in August, including Chomps and Friends Movie Night on August 1 at Christine Thompson Aquatic Center, National Night Out on August 4 at Florin Creek Park, Movie in the Park on August 6 at Don & Brenda Nottoli Community Park, and the District’s 70th Anniversary celebration on August 27 at Fruitridge Community Center.
These events are more than dates on a calendar. They are a chance to celebrate the parks, people, programs, and community traditions that have kept Southgate moving for 70 years.
Visit southgaterecandpark.gov for event details, updates, and the full summer events calendar.
The Power of Parks and Recreation!
Parks and recreation are more than places to spend time. They support health, connection, safety, learning, and a stronger sense of community.
According to NRPA, more than 227 million adults or members of their household visited a local park or recreation facility between August 2024 and September 2025. Local park and recreation agencies also reach more than 40 million youth each year, with many offering youth sports programs that help children build skills, confidence, and connection.
The benefits reach across every age group. The top reason adults use park and recreation facilities is to spend time with family and friends. About 63% of U.S. residents say being close to parks and recreation facilities is highly important when choosing where to live. Nearly all survey respondents reported some feeling of belonging in their park and recreation spaces, and most park and recreation agencies offer older adult programs and resources.
Here at Southgate Recreation & Park District, those numbers reflect something we see every day. Parks give families room to gather. Programs give children space to grow. Community centers bring neighbors together. Trails and open spaces help people move, rest, and reconnect. Behind all of it are the staff, volunteers, partners, and residents who keep these spaces active and welcoming.
That is the power of parks and recreation in Sacramento.
It is not only found in one event, one park, or one month. It is found in the people who keep showing up, season after season, generation after generation.
This July, celebrate with us. Visit as many parks as you can. Share a photo. Bring a neighbor. Then keep the celebration going with us into August as Southgate Recreation & Park District marks 70 years of service, connection, and community in motion! 🐊
