July is Parks & Recreation Month. The nationwide campaign aimed at getting people to enjoy green spaces in their communities turns 40 this year and celebrations are in full swing across the Twin Cities—including a first-ever open street walk/jog/bike event in Normal.
Normal Parks & Recreation Director Doug Damery said Sunday’s Stride & Ride is inspired by large-scale events like Bike the Drive, an annual bike ride on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive, which is closed to traffic for several hours.
“We started talking,” Damery said. “What does that look like in Normal, and is there interest?”
The team picked a route Damery said was “doable” with minimal impact on a Sunday morning. From 8-11 a.m. on July 20, a two-mile loop extending from Anderson Park to Main Street allows people to walk, bike or jog through Normal’s main thoroughfare along West College Avenue and West Mulberry Street.
“It’s a different way to see Uptown,” Damery said. “That’s the whole reason we picked this route.”
Participants can enter the loop at any access point, but a good place to start is Anderson Park, where “event central” will have entertainment, restrooms and booths with community partners.
Friends of Constitution Trail, McLean County Wheelers, Lake Run Club, Strong Towns Blono, Often Running and Fleet Feet are among the organizations who will be there representing active transportation alternatives. Town partners like Children’s Discovery Museum, Illinois Art Station and Normal Public Library will be there too, plus tons of fun stuff to do apart from the actual striding and riding: family Zumba, face painting, an inflatable obstacle course, lawn games—and the pool opens an hour early, at 10 a.m.
“Promoting an active, healthy lifestyle is what it’s all about,” Damery said. “We’d like to see really good participation in the bike/run/walk portion of the event. You wouldn’t have to do any of those things to enjoy the event if you’re not interested in that, but again, we’re trying to promote healthy, active living.”
For those who must navigate the area by car, there will be two crossings monitored by Normal Police at Fell and Linden.
The merriment continues Sunday afternoon in Bloomington’s White Oak Park, where the city has teamed with SOAR [Special Opportunities Available in Recreation] for Popsicles in the Park. From 1-3 p.m., people of all ages are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to relax while enjoying games, music and icy, fruity delights. Activities are designed to be neurodiverse-friendly.
And apart from the Stride & Ride there are still plenty of additional free pop-ups around Normal celebrating Parks & Recreation Month, including birdwatching with local biologist Given Harper Saturday morning, Family Bingo, an evening swim at Anderson Aquatic Center next week and two month-long DIY events. At Camden Park, kiddos can add a painted rock to Rocky the Rattler's tail. And a Scavenger Hunt gets families exploring the Town's many parks—with potential prizes for those who finish the challenge.
Zooming out
It’s been five years since COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in use of Twin City parks, and Damery said, while difficult to track, that impact has been long lasting.
“People became much more aware of parks and the benefit of going out and enjoying nature,” Damery said. “We try to track that through newer technology [like GPS cell phone data], but it really wasn’t available in 2020 to us. But you can just see, anecdotally, the traffic on Constitution Trail picking up—in a good way. You could see more people in the parks. I think that has continued.”
Damery said a nationwide surge in golf course use beginning in 2020 has also stuck, including in Normal.
“It’s been a positive thing in that sense, in that it makes people realize the health benefits and mental benefits of parks and recreation—and the programs we offer.”
While Parks & Recreation Month is all about introducing people to those programs, Damery said Normal is somewhat limited by space, especially during the cold months. The town partners with Unit 5 for certain sports programs that cannot be accommodated at the Normal Community Activity Center, its primary indoor space.
Damery sees Normal’s programs as a gateway, introducing kids, teens and adults to various health and recreation programs in a low-stakes, low-cost environment before many participants move on to school teams, for example, or club sports.
“I think we’ve held a good line,” Damery said. “We’ve identified programs that are successful, and we try to capitalize on those. And we really try to feed into other programs around the community. We try to build into that.”
