Parks After Dark program kicks off with new location
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Youth can enjoy free outdoor activities at the Parks After Dark program. Photo: San Diego Parks Foundation
San Diego's annual "Parks After Dark" program that is intended to turn neighborhood parks into evening community festivals kicks off Thursday.
Why it matters: The program provides free outdoor activities for kids and teens in a safe environment on summer nights.
Zoom in: Families can enjoy music, arts and crafts, sports clinics, movies and more at five parks-and-recreation centers across the city.
- The eight-week program also provides resources from community-based organizations and free food for kids.
- The events are every Thursday-Saturday, 5-8pm, through Aug.17.
Driving the news: Additional funding this year helped the program expand to Silver Wing Recreation Center in Otay Mesa, where it will run through July 27.
- The other locations are Skyline Hills, City Heights, Linda Vista and Memorial Park in Logan Heights.
Catch up quick: The San Diego Parks Foundation launched Parks After Dark in 2022 in partnership with Price Philanthropies, the city and the county.
- It targets urban neighborhoods with higher crime rates and areas with a concentration of youth and lower-income families.
- It's modeled after a Los Angeles County program that in the past decade has reduced violence, improved neighborhood relationships and increased access to recreational programming and social services.
The big picture: San Diego's park system recently scored better than most big cities but ranked poorly for equity in a recent report by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land (TPL).
- Low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color have less park space than more affluent, predominantly white areas, the report found.
The city is upgrading 19 local parks in underserved areas, and San Diego planners are evaluating how to make parks more equitable across neighborhoods.