Learn More About National Get Outdoors Day:
A Celebration of Get Outdoors Colorado!
About the Event
Get Outdoors Colorado, which takes place on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Denver City Park, is an annual event to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun. Participating partners will offer opportunities for families to experience traditional and non-traditional types of outdoor activities, while providing ongoing opportunities for people to connect to the outdoors year-round. Organizers are planning an estimated 10,000 attendees for Saturday, June 11, 2011.
The event developed in response to inactive lifestyles becoming the norm. Studies show that in the last 20 years, the time kids spend outside has fallen by fifty percent. The typical youth spends six hours per day on new technology and games. The rate of obesity among adolescents has grown to four times compared to 20 years ago. Many public and private agencies have joined forces to reconnect youth to nature and healthier choices that include getting outside more. Outdoor adventure can happen anywhere even in the urban environment of Denver. Youth can enjoy nature, stay active and physically fit and have a renewed sense of the great outdoors. This event will hopefully pique youth curiosity and encourage them to get outside more often!
Nationwide, National Get Outdoors Day is an outgrowth of the Get Outdoors USA! campaign, which encourages Americans, especially our youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace our parks, forests, refuges, and other public lands and waters. On June 11, dozens of sites nationwide will celebrate National Get Outdoors Day by hosting events similar to the one being held in Denver. Leading partners at the national level include the Forest Service, American Recreation Coalition, the Coleman Company and USA Freedom Corps. For more information, go to http://www.getoutdoorsusa.org or http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org.
Information Center
Stop by one of our Information Centers to plan your action-packed day in the park! Here you'll get a complete overview and information on event details. Be sure to pick up your prize entry forms as well as a map, schedule of stage events, and learn how to become a Junior Ranger.
Get into the Outdoors
Outdoor recreation adventures! Find what the outdoors have to offer: rock climb, mountain bike, canoe, kayak, and even ski in City Park! Challenge yourself, friends, and family with team building games, and learn to continue your outdoor adventures year-round. Fifth and sixth graders can sign up for free ski passes.
Outdoor Adventure Stage
Ready to (ad)venture outside and learn something new? Challenge yourself and your family. Take advantage of exciting and interactive demonstrations! Discover how rewarding it can be to play as a team, to go on camping trips, to do yoga in bare feet on the grass, to be a contestant on a game show, and much more!
Cultural Connections
Our community is enriched and influenced by the many indigenous, European, and non-European cultures. All cultures make significant and valuable contributions to the place we call home, the State of Colorado. Together we enjoy and draw support from our varied cultures. Come and experience nature and the outdoors through the eyes of different cultures.
Junior Ranger Camp (Ages 2-12)
Experience the wonders of nature and learn basic backcountry skills in the Junior Ranger Camp. Follow the trail and learn how to pack a backpack, set up a campsite, filter water, build and extinguish a campfire, hang your food, and more. You'll also learn how to navigate trail obstacles and find your way in the outdoors using a map and compass or GPS. Discover the types of plants and animals that are living in nature as well as those that lived long ago. Learn how to care for nature and express yourself with an art project. Scouts who complete the camp will get a special event patch, and all kids who participate will get a badge and be sworn in as official National Get Outdoors Day Junior Rangers!
Health Zone
Come get fit and have fun with us! Put on some sunscreen, take the President's Physical Fitness Challenge and participate in a 5k or 10k volksmarch. Receive a prescription for good health. Learn about bicycle safety. Enjoy healthy foods. Value getting off the couch and being more active - outside!
Farmers Market
Summertime is all about FOOD and FUN. To make summertime eating even more delicious, stop by the Farmers Marketplace. Learn what goes into the food you eat and where to find yummy local food in your neighborhood! And when all this food talk starts making you hungry, head over to our local food vendors and grab a healthy, delicious and local snack for you and your family. You can also buy food for later, including fruit, veggies and canned produce, as well as seedlings that will grow into delicious treats right in your yard! The National Get Outdoors Day Farmers Marketplace is sponsored by JeffGROW, the Jefferson Conservation District's urban agriculture program. Booths by May Farms, Colorado Proud, Mountain Valley Canning will be featured.
Take a Family Fishing
Feel the tug on your line as you experience America's favorite pastime: FISHING!!! Experience one of the best and most inexpensive family oriented outdoor activities. Learn how to cast and then try your luck at catching rainbow trout. All equipment and bait is provided. For those 16 years or older, a current Colorado fishing license is required. You can purchase ahead of time online at http://wildlife.state.co.us/ShopDOW/AppsAndLicenses/ or at any sporting goods store. "Take a Family Fishing" sponsors include: Wright and McGill (Eagle Claw), U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Denver Water, and Colorado Division of Wildlife.
No Barrier Event
This event is an inclusive event for everyone!
No Barriers USA, Adaptive Adventures, Sportainability, Performance Mobility and the National Sports Center for the Disabled will be in the Get Outdoors Zone sharing their vision of accessibility to the outdoors and active lifestyle opportunities. Stop by to see an accessible motorcycle. Learn to paddle in an adaptive kayak or adaptive canoe. Volunteers will be on-site to assist kids and adults of all backgrounds and abilities in connecting to nature.
Handicap parking will be available in the Messiah Community Church parking lot located at 1750 Colorado Blvd 80220. A shuttle bus, equipped with a wheelchair lift, will be transporting individuals to and from the park during the event.