Outside for All-Let’s Talk About Parks

Outside for All is an annual outdoor celebration of the wide variety of recreation and green space opportunities in our community!  Produced in partnership by the San Antonio Parks Foundation and the City of San Antonio’s Parks and Recreation Department, the event provides park users a platform to share their ideas and concerns on how all parks can be intentionally inclusive and welcoming in order to fully utilize resources for outdoor spaces, including diversity, walkability, security, transportation connectivity and wellness. Results of this continuing dialogue help the community at large and area governmental leaders gain an understanding of public needs.

The event is free and includes optional activities for everyone:

• Free display space for up to 20 area nonprofit organizations that promote outdoor activities. Exhibitors include Southern Wildlife Rehabilitation, Black Outside, Ghisallo Cycling Initiative, Latino Outdoors, Green Spaces Alliance, Compost Queens and Friends of Natural Areas
• Keynote speaker is Brandon A. Logan, Urban Capital Partners Founder and CEO, Executive Director of the Doug Williams Center for the Study of Race and Politics in Sports and Executive Producer of the acclaimed documentary, “Living in My Skin”
• Youth and Adult panel discussions on park equity and accessibility
• Ask the Director with Parks Director Homer Garcia III
• Educational materials on importance of parks and green spaces to our quality of life
• A survey link will be offered to collect data to prioritize needs of our community
• Fun giveaways and learning experiences

“Meaningful progress in the park community incorporates active volunteer leadership, involved elected officials and municipal partnerships and continuous engagement by the people”, said Ken Kuwamura, SAPF Chairman of the Board.

Here is the schedule of events:

9:00 am  Nonprofit partners will open their display booths at the garden entrance to share information on the types of outdoor activities offered this year.  Many will offer free giveaways and games.  The Parks and Recreation booth will offer “Park a la Carte” boxes with family activities by age group developed by Dr. Sylvia Reyna, to the first 150 guests.

9:15 am  Tom Kinsey, Learn Nature, will teach us more about the animals that live all around us and how they make our world a happier place.  Touch, hold and take pictures with them under the Pavilion

10:00 am  Youth panel discussion moderated by Jorge Abraham Hernandez, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator with Lyndon B. Johnson Historical Park

11:15 am  Brandon Logan keynote address

12:00 pm  Adult panel discussion. Panelists include Josie Gutierrez (Latino Outdoors Ambassador, Southwest), Angelica Holmes (Executive Director, Black Outside Inc.), Margaret Lamar (Executive Director, Cibolo Conservation Center), Elizabeth Bert (Director of Urban Activation + Play, Centro San Antonio), Juan Martinez (Senior Program Manager at the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions) and Jeanette Honermann (Parks and Recreation Board Mayoral Appointee and REI Co-op)

1:15 pm  Homer Garcia III, Parks Director, City of San Antonio, will answer community questions

2:00 pm  Event concludes

“Let’s work as a community to build dialogue and an action plan for making all parks a place of learning, exploring and celebrating the cultural diversity we enjoy in San Antonio and Bexar County,” said Mary Jane Verette, President & CEO of the San Antonio Parks Foundation.

Parking is readily available in the spacious lot on St. Mary’s St. located next to the Japanese Tea Garden.