Join the DC Department of Parks & Recreation for the release of the city’s 20-year parks & rec plan called Ready2Play. Food, games, giveaways, and more.
Ready2Play Release Party
December 16, 2023
11:00 am-2:00 pm
Edgewood Recreation Center
301 Franklin Street NE
Information at ready2play.splashthat.com
From DC Department of Parks & Recreation
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 31, 2023 CONTACT: DPR Customer Care: (202) 673-7647 Media Contacts: Michael Tucker, Jr. – (202) 717-4242, michael.tucker@dc. gov Nolan Treadway, (202) 257-5266, nolan.treadway@dc.gov |
Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) are reminding residents that registration for DPR’s 2023 winter programming will begin on Wednesday, November 1 for aquatics programs and Thursday, November 2 for all other programs. Registration opens at noon on both days.
DPR programs offered this winter include:
Families can sign their children up for Wee Winter Wondercamp, available for ages 3-5, and Winter Wondercamp, available for ages 6-13, during the upcoming winter break. And registration for additional DPR winter break programs will be announced in November.
Registration for winter programming is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and DPR will utilize a virtual “waiting room” on both program registration days in order to manage the high demand for programs.
DPR Winter Program registration opens:
Residents are encouraged to create an account online with DPR’s registration system in advance to save time once program registration opens. To create an account, visit http://dpr.dc.gov/DPRaccount.
DPR offers programming at reduced rates to qualifying DC residents. Complete the online reduced rates application here. Residents must be approved for reduced rates by DPR before registering for programs.
For more information and to view a complete list of DPR programs, visit DPRprograms.com.
From neighbor Heather Rodgers
The 3rd Annual Trunk or Treat in Ft. Circle Park is this Saturday, October 28th! This is a very low-key gathering. It’s an opportunity to bring the kids in their costumes and meet some neighbors. For safety, blankets will be set up in the park instead of going to car trunks. Please see below for details:
Ft. Totten Trunk (Blanket) or Treat
Saturday, October 28th, 2023
3:00pm ET to 5:00pm ET
Ft. Circle Park – Pavilion on Galloway St NE between 9th and 10th Street
Facebook invite is here
Volunteer sign-up here
DC Family Bike Fest 2023 is happening this Sunday, September 17, 10:00 am-2:00 pm at Alethia Tanner Park.
Ward 5 Biking will be celebrating completion of the 8th Street NE cycletrack at 10:00 am at Brookland Arts Walk before heading down the Met Branch Trail to the park. The cycletrack is quite lovely (hats off to the Ward 5 ANC commissioners who worked with DDOT to close this gap along the MBT).
DPR Cultural Arts Showcase
Highlighting DPR cultural Arts programs and activities
May 18, 2023
6:00 PM
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center
501 Riggs Road NE
Today, the DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) announced expanded hours at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE), Lamond Recreation Center (20 Tuckerman Street NE), and at North Michigan Park Recreation Center (1333 Emerson Street NE).
| Old Hours* | New Hours | Daily Operating Hours Change | |
| Monday – Friday | 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. | 8 ➔ 12 hours per day |
| Saturday | 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. / Closed | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | 4 ➔ 8 hours per day |
DPR indicated that the expanded hours address usage by teens.
The expansion of hours addresses a growing desire among teens more interested in leisure usage of DPR’s gyms, fitness centers, eGaming lounges, etc. DPR will limit programming and permits during the expanded hours to ensure availability of these highly utilized recreation assets for teens. April 10th, is a professional development day at DC Public Schools which means youth are out of school.
To view all DPR recreation and community centers, visit dpr.dc.gov/RecCenters.
DPR also announced hiring opportunities.
DPR is Hiring
DPR also is also hiring for the summer, with over 600 positions available. Positions available include summer camp, roving leaders, lifeguards and pool operators, urban park rangers, summer meals program, environmental division, and warehouse and transportation.
Residents can find a job or sign up to attend our next hiring event on Saturday, April 15 at earnwithdpr.com.
Be sure to comment on the District’s draft parks and recreation long-range plan by January 31, 2023. Visit ready2playdc.com to read the draft plan and submit your comments.
From DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR):
The plan includes goals, strategies, actions, and an investment blueprint to guide DPR over the next two decades. There are policy-level planning, programming, design, and operations actions that DPR intends to undertake and track over the coming years, as well as specific site-based recommendations and an implementation plan of investment.
The draft plan is currently posted on the Ready2Play website, where you can submit comments directly in the document by clicking on the relevant area of the page and filling in the comment window that pops up. Additionally, there is a public comment survey where you can leave additional feedback or general comments on the whole document.
I previously discussed some elements of the draft plan in this post.
This is the time to support the items in the draft plan that you like and to continue to advocate for funding and implementation of the things neighbors want.
Want to see attractive community green space at the corner of South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE? Ask for it and remind officials that this request is consistent with the neighborhood’s area development plan.
Want shade at the new Riggs-LaSalle Rec playground? Ask for it.
Want a neighborhood walking track and tennis courts? Co-sign the recommendation in the plan.
Want better coordination with National Park Service for Fort Circle Park? Co-sign the recommendation in the plan & remind officials that the neighborhood’s approved area development plan contemplates recreation and a trail around the perimeter of the park.
Want “safe access” to include not just safe routes to the rec, but also safety in and around the rec? Let officials know.
Whatever it is that you support, let DPR know by January 31.
Riggs Park Follow Up Public Safety Meeting
Hosted by DC’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety & Justice
January 10, 2023
6:30 pm
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE)
Government agencies in attendance:
Metropolitan Police Department
DC Department of General Services
DC Department of Parks & Recreation
DC Department of Behavioral Health
For questions or concerns, please contact Jasmin Benab at jasmin.benab@dc.gov.
—
This meeting is a follow-up to a less than useful meeting that was held on January 3, 2023, in response to the shooting that happend at the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center on December 23, 2022. MPD 4th District Commander Carlos Heraud attended the meeting but a minute before having to leave because of a shooting at Georgia Avenue & Rittenhouse Street NW. Officials from other agencies present were not prepared to address questions raised by residents.
For the meeting on January 10, residents are encouraged to submit questions, concerns, and ideas in advance to jasmin.benab@dc.gov.
My understanding is that representatives will be prepared with responses to questions raised at the meeting on January 3. It sounds like this will be a real opportunity for residents to say what they would like to see from District government officials and what kind of resources residents believe are necessary to make sure something like this does not happen again.
The frontline staff at the rec deserve all the thanks and support for keeping the children who were in the gym at the time safe. They also deserve a workplace free from violence, a building with working security cameras, and an executive branch that timely responds to issues raised by the staff.
Also, nothing can be that deep to make someone decide to shoot up a rec center. So often people say that there are not enough programs or things for young people to do in this city and then people decide to shoot up a place that actually offers programs and things for young people to do. This is ridiculous.
Riggs Park Public Safety Meeting
Hosted by DC’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety & Justice
January 3, 2023
6:00 pm
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE)
Government agencies in attendance:
MPD 4th District Commander Carlos Heraud
DC Department of Parks & Recreation
DC Department of Behavioral Health
For questions or concerns, please contact Jasmin Benab at jasmin.benab@dc.gov.
The below message is from DC’s Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR). Edited 12/29/2022: A community meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 7, 2023, at 12:00 pm at Riggs-LaSalle Rec (501 Riggs Road NE). A community meeting is scheduled for January 3, 2023, at 6:00 pm at Riggs-LaSalle Rec (501 Riggs Road NE).
—
From DPR
Dear Community Stakeholders:
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) would like to provide an update on a critical incident that happened at the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. On Friday December 23, 2022, several individuals shot through the windows of the center and injured two residents who were playing pool. Fortunately, both individuals received non life-threatening injuries and are expected to make a full recovery. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is conducting a thorough investigation into this incident and will provide updates.
In response to this incident, DPR is taking the following immediate steps to address the impact of this incident.
* DPR will provide trauma counselling for staff, children and partners who are impacted by the incident.
* The Department of General Services (DGS) is making immediate arrangements to replace the glass and make repairs to any additional damages to the site.
* DPR will work with the DGS Protective Services Division (PSD) and MPD to provide additional security at the center site.
* DPR is working with MPD to review all security tape of the incident and requests that individuals with any information about the shooting directly contact MPD.
We would like to thank the community again for the outpouring of support that the center staff received since Friday. DPR takes the safety and security of our residents and employees very seriously and we will continue to work with all of our partners to improve safety at our sites.
Again, thank you for your continuing support. Please feel free to contact me directly via e-mail at Christopher.dyer@dc.gov<mailto:Christopher.dyer@dc.gov> or phone (202) 702-9453 if you have any questions.
Best,
Chris
Christopher Dyer
Community Engagement Manager
Department of Parks and Recreation
1275 1st Street NE
Washington DC 20002
(202) 702-9453 (cell)
dpr.dc.gov
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation has released Ready2Play, the city’s long-range parks and recreation master plan, for public comment. This plan is the result of over two years of public engagement. You can submit comments in one of two ways:
Either way, be sure to submit comments by January 31, 2023.
I have only skimmed the document so far. It is a pretty hefty document containing a Strategic Plan with 4 Goals, an Equity Framework, Recommendations, and an Implementation Plan. There is discussion of what DPR heard during the public engagement process, recreation trends, and lots of other interesting stuff. Thanks to neighbor Gavin Baker for passing along a few highlights from the plan for parks & recreation centers in our neighborhood.
Less than an acre in size, this typology includes triangles, circles, plazas, and landscaped medians. Small parks provide opportunities for beautification, commemorative works of importance to neighborhoods, and public art. They are perfect settings for passive recreation and socialization or active recreation with amenities such as playgrounds, dog parks, walkways, and multi-purpose turf areas. Additionally, they may provide infrastructure to address environmental challenges such as stormwater management, biological diversity, and ecological and habitat restoration.
Let’s keep advocating for what we want in our neighborhood parks and rec centers. It really does make a difference to participate in these public engagement processes. Be sure to submit comments by January 31, 2023.
Look & See: Help Envision a Community Park in Our Neighborhood
September 24, 2022
11:00 am-1:00 pm
Food & Friends
219 Riggs Road NE (southwest corner of Riggs Road & South Dakota Avenue NE)
Sponsored by the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) Development Task Force
Hosted by Food & Friends
Our neighborhood has an area development plan that was initiated by the LRCA, completed by the DC Office of Planning in 2008, approved by the DC Council in 2009, and fully incorporated into the DC Comprehensive Plan in 2021.
One element of the plan envisions “parks and open space” for the District-owned green space (“District Green”) on the southwest corner of South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE near Food & Friends.
This Saturday September 24, 2022, the LRCA invites neighbors to the District Green to Look & SEE.
“SEE” stands for “Site Experience Event.”
At your own pace and in no particular order, walk the land, see information displays, talk with your neighbors, have light refreshments, and envision what you would like to see in this community open space.
Come as you are & come-and-go as you please any time between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.
Note: To enter the Food & Friends facility, you must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Masks are optional.
From Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center
DPR is giving away free tickets to a Washington Nationals game for tonight, September 13th at 7:00 pm. Tickets are on a first come, first serve basis.
Please contact Ms. Shirleta Settles at our Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center at shirleta.settles@dc.gov or go directly to the community center at 501 Riggs Road NE to receive the tickets.
From Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center
Back to School Public Safety Day & Backpack Giveaway
August 27, 2022
10:00 am-2:00 pm
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center
501 Riggs Road NE
Jazz in the Park with vocalist Shirleta Settles
July 28, 2022
6:30 pm-9:30 pm
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (outdoors)
501 Riggs Road NE
Bring chairs, blankets, family, and friends!
Refreshments provided the Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center.
DPR Activates Local DC Parks And Connects Residents To Art, Music, And Culture Right In Their Own Back Yards.
Join the DC Department of Parks & Recreation for a series of pop-up music and art installations at scenic green spaces all over the District.
These events are free, open to the public, and a great way to take advantage of DC’s tremendous park system, which was recently ranked #1 in the United States.
The series features locally known artists, musicians, and civic demonstrations in a celebration of DC culture. All you have to do is get there, sit back, and enjoy your local parks and a free show.
Shirleta Settles is a wonderful jazz vocalist, who previously lived in Riggs Park for many many years. It is always a treat to see her perform and should be a fun time. In case of rain, event will be moved indoors at the rec.
Summer in the Parks
Fort Circle Park (South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE)
July 13, 2022
6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Join Rock Creek Park and Rock Creek Conservancy for Wednesday evening Summer in the Parks events in July at Fort Circle Parks in NE DC from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Music from DJ Lance Reynolds and family-friendly games and activities will bring the Rock Creek community together to celebrate our urban oasis and #RecreateResponsibly in our parks.
Registration is not required to attend this event, but those who register will receive email reminders and updates in advance.
The Michigan Park community playground is open near 12th Street and Varnum Street NE after a grand opening event on June 5, 2022. The playground was constructed as part of a community benefits package for the Michigan Park Townhome development by EYA. A decorative fence along 12th Street will be constructed at a later date.
Photos below courtesy of Robert Oliver
WUSA 9 television provided really nice coverage of the Lamond-Riggs Boys & Girls Club Reunion & Community Welcoming event that took place on May 14, 2022 at the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. It was a wonderful event where people who grew up in the neighborhood came together to celebrate their pride in a neighborhood that invested so much in them. The Lamond-Riggs Boys and Girls Club got its start in a little red church building and eventually found a home in the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. Seeing so many come back to the neighborhood to attend this event and express so much joy at seeing old neighbors with whom they grew up, it became even clearer why so many chose this neighborhood in the 1960s to call home and why so many who grew up here feel such great pride in the neighborhood.
The event was emceed by Howard Burnett, who grew up in Riggs Park and went on to become a senior administrator with Prince George’s County Public Schools. The program recognized all those who made a difference in the lives of the young people in the neighborhood–founders of the boys and girls club, coaches, and community partners. Guest speaker Richard Dyer, who is the president and general manager of WUSA 9 television, also grew up in Riggs Park. His family lived in the neighborhood from 1967 to 1992.
Pictures of the program below
Origin of event
The event grew out of facebook group conversations among individuals who grew up in the neighborhood, talking about the changes that they were seeing in the neighborhood. Those conversations made their way to Frank Jones, who also grew up in Riggs Park and has a special talent for putting on events. Mr. Jones retired from many years of service at the Walter Reed Medical Center, including in special events. He decided to volunteer his organization, the DC High School Alumni Association, to sponsor the event and pulled together a team of three committees to assist. Many of those assisting in the planning were his fellow Coolidge High School alumni. Mr. Jones said one of his goals was to make sure the event would be a bridge between generations and unite residents. That is one reason the event was stylized as both a reunion and community welcoming event. The team also wanted to give back, so they decided to donate funds to both the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) and the Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center.
It really was a special treat to see so many come back, hear how much the boys and girls club meant to them, and hear how they wish to continue meeting the needs of youth in the neighborhood.
Additional event photos below
Representatives from the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has been making the rounds of neighborhood meetings lately to let residents know of DPR offerings and camp registration dates. View the presentation made to the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) here.
Registration for DPR summer camps begins April 4, 2022, at https://dprsummercamp.com. Christopher Dyer, DPR’s community engagment manager, recommended that residents set up their accounts at dpr.dc.gov/DPRaccount ahead of time to make registration go more smoothly. In addition, he said that DPR is aware of issues with page load time and that they are working with their IT team to improve system capacity during peak registration times.
DPR offers reduced camp rates to qualifying families. Residents must be approved for the discounted rate before registering for summer camp. Find information and the reduced rate application at https://dprsummercamp.com.
During the meeting, Shirleta Settles, manager of the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center, shared that there are dedicated hours for community use of the field at the rec center, which is located at 501 Riggs Road NE. During these hours, the field is open to the community for walking and other low impact activities. Residents sometimes complain that leagues or sports teams able to pay permit fees take up all the field time and that the field is locked to the community at other times. These community hours are an attempt by DPR to ensure the field is available for community use. There are both morning and evening community field hours, so do take advantage of this time to enjoy the field. No large organized group or team activities are allowed during community hours. Permits are required for any organized activity with 10 or more participants.
Community Field Time at Riggs-LaSalle Rec
During Community Time: Walking and very low impact activities for community (NO large, Organization groups/teams). If there are any issues (dogs on the field, field locked, etc.) from 7:30 am to 10:00 am, please call the DPR Ranger at 202-441-2605. Times may be subject to change; community will be notified when that happens.
| DAYS | TIMES | FIELD |
| Sundays | 7:30 am-1:00 pm | Whole Field |
| Mondays | 7:30 am-10:00 am 4:00 pm-5:00 pm 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Whole Field |
| Tuesdays | 7:30 am-10:00 am 5:00 pm-6:00 pm | Half Field |
| Wednesdays | 7:30 am-10:00 am 5:00 pm-7:00 pm | Whole Field |
| Thursdays | 7:30 am-10:00 am 5:00 pm-7:00 pm | Whole Field ½ Field |
| Fridays | 7:30 am-10:00 am | Whole Field |
| Saturdays | 7:30 am-9:00 am | Whole Field |
From Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office
Congresswoman Norton’s district office is hosting a joint community meeting with the National Park Service.
The pertinent details are below:
Who: All D.C. Residents
Speakers: Congresswoman Norton and National Park Service representatives
What: A joint community meeting with the National Park Service
Where: Please email NortonEvents@mail.house.gov to RSVP for the event and receive the Zoom link
When: Thursday, December 9, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm
This event is open to the public.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 