Seattle Parks and Recreation news and events
Jesús Aguirre at the press conference announcing his nomination.
Mayor Ed Murray has nominated former Washington, DC Parks and Recreation chief Jesús Aguirre to be the new Superintendent at Seattle Parks and Recreation.
Read more on the Mayor’s Blog.
Photo by Jeff Lantz Images
Join us at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 1 as the Seattle Japanese Garden celebrates First Viewing, a re-opening event welcoming the general public inside the gates for the first time in 2015.
First Viewing begins with the dramatic flair of a Shinto blessing. The Shinto blessing is a formal ceremony that has been conducted in Japan since ancient times. The blessing will usher in auspicious ki –life energy– for a successful new year and will be conducted by Reverend Koichi Barrish of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Granite Falls, WA.
Trained guides will be available to give complimentary tours of the Seattle Japanese Garden, deepening the experience of strolling the garden by sharing insights on the garden’s history, design and spiritual principles. The 45-minute tours begin at the ticket booth starting at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. [Read more…]
Artwork by Alex Taylor,
courtesy of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
Valentine’s Day means different things to different people. It can mean pampering your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, kids, friends or fiancé. It can mean expensive dinners, chocolates or roses. To Seattle Parks and Recreation, Valentine’s Day means showing love to our vibrant Seattle communities. It also mean carbs, caffeine and free events!
This year Valentine’s Day coincides perfectly with Neighbor Appreciation Day, and we’re excited to celebrate you.
Friday, Feb. 13
Send your photos to @seattleparks on Twitter for a chance to be featured on our blog!
Visit our homepage and subscribe to Explore More, our twice-monthly newsletter, to learn about new things happening in our parks and community centers this month.
@greggorovitch @ Golden Gardens Park
“Everyone in the NE is preparing for snowpocalypse and I’m just biking to Golden Gardens in shorts #seattle #juneuary”
@joyftnssandstyl @ Discovery Park
“Got some fresh air and Vit D today. #DiscoveryPark #Washington #trails #trees #pnw #Seattle #GetOutside”
@karechap @ Gas Works Park
“I was trying to be serious but ended up laughing. Story of my life.”
@divalins @ Discovery Park
“Great day for a walk at #DiscoveryPark #lighthouse #seattle”
@andreehurley @ Golden Gardens Park
“Another beautiful Seattle sunset! @ Golden Gardens Park”
@coryaw @ Gas Works Park
“typical but never tired. #gasworks #seattle @ Gas Works Park “
@evolveexistence @ Gas Works Park
“#Seattle Saturday @ Gas Works Park @ Gas Works Park”
@fstop_seattle @ Golden Gardens Park
“Sunset over Golden Gardens last week. #fstopseattle”
@meltwist @ Golden Gardens Park
“Let’s go fly a kite! Spring weather today in #seattle”
@a-laura_ble @ Golden Gardens Park
“happy birthday to my favorite ray of sun!!! #nofilter #sunset #seattle #birthday”
@amadssss @ Discovery Park
@kealanandreas @ Gas Works Park
“#lakeunion #Skyline #seattle #washingtonst #gasworks #northwestisbest”
@serenamarie8 @ Gas Works Park
“Seattle with my girls”
Seattle Parks and Recreation is seeking seasonal partners to operate food services, activities and group fitness classes in various park locations throughout the city of Seattle. Locations vary with sites appropriate for carts, food trucks and other self-contained service businesses.
To apply, submit a proposal to Seattle Parks on or before Monday, March 30, 2015. Proposal applications can be downloaded, picked up in person at the address below or mailed to you. Small businesses, women- and/or minority-owned businesses are encouraged to submit proposals. [Read more…]
As we ramp up our efforts to implement the Park District, we’re reflecting on the many significant accomplishments of 2014 for Seattle Parks and Recreation. We are excited about the many opportunities we were able to provide Seattle families and individuals last year.
In the Recreation Division, Aquatics staff taught 320,000 swim lessons; the Business Service Center expanded the use of Quick Cards, offering more affordable opportunities for people to exercise and recreate; in support of the Mayor’s Summer of Safety Initiative, Parks reallocated approximately $125,000 to provide programs to “activate” parks in certain Seattle neighborhoods.
In the Parks Division, we completed the Environmental Stewardship Report to convey the great work of our environmental program; the Green Seattle Partnership removed 40 acres of invasive species, planted 66,000 plants and trees and weeded 191 acres of forest; the Youth Green Corps served 11 youth for nine months and the Corps restored three acres of parkland and a half-mile of trail.We look forward to the year ahead and to continuing to serve the people of Seattle.
Seattle Parks and Recreation Naturalist Anne Bentley has been working in Discovery Park for more than 25 years, and knows the area better than most. We interviewed Anne to learn her expert tips for getting the most out of a visit.
Q. Many visitors to Discovery Park head straight to West Point Lighthouse, but what are some other lesser-known places of interest?
In the northwest corner of the park, just off the north parking lot, there is a half-mile loop trail called the Wolf Tree Nature Trail. It has the largest collection of native plants in the park. The trail includes two beautiful streams, forested wetlands and some fairly large conifers and big leaf maples. It is a trail used in environmental learning classes and quiet contemplation, so we discourage jogging and dogs are not allowed. It is a great place for a walk anytime of the year.
The Wolf Tree Nature Trail has a spur trail to three reflecting ponds. These are human-made ponds retaining stream water from the hillside. The last pond or the lowest pond is largest with places to sit and picnic, birdwatch or enjoy the quiet. [Read more…]
Many Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities will be closed Monday, Feb. 16, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
These facilities and services are CLOSED:
These facilities are OPEN on regular schedules:
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If dog is man’s best friend, then Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to show your pal some love! Seattle Parks and Recreation invites pups to paddle in the Queen Anne Pool from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14.
This swim is made possible by the pool closure for preventive maintenance from Feb.15 – March 2. [Read more…]
Photo courtesy of HistoryLink.org.
This February, to commemorate Black History Month, Seattle Parks and Recreation will be honoring some of the African American men and women who helped shape our city’s history for the better. There are 16 facilities in our parks system named for these leaders and throughout the month, we’ll be telling a few of their stories on our blog.
“Quality care with dignity.” That was the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic’s motto coined by Washington state’s first African American woman pediatrician, Dr. Blanche Seller Lavizzo. [Read more…]
