Washington State Parks Foundation | Friends of Lake Sammamish | Washington State Parks & Recreation Commisson |
NEWS17-038
| Media contacts:
John Floberg, Washington State Parks Foundation, (206) 437-6086
John Sherwin, Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, (425) 785-8819
Toni Droscher, State Parks, (360) 902-8604 |
Updated May 31, 2017
Olympia – May 30, 2017 – The Washington State Parks Foundation, the Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, KEXP 90.3 FM, Alaska Airlines and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invite the public to celebrate GO EXPO/Expand Your Playlist, Washington’s largest celebration of National Get Outdoors Day.
The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 10, at Lake Sammamish State Park, 2000 N.W. Sammamish Road, Issaquah. (Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/m1MyjQPNYLE2).
GO EXPO/Expand Your Playlist will feature a wide range of outdoor activities with a focus on new outdoor users, in particular.
“With more than 80,000 people moving to the Puget Sound region in the last year alone, GO EXPO provides many exciting new options for enjoying our parks and public lands, whether you’ve just moved here or have lived here all your life,” said John Floberg, Executive Director of the Washington State Parks Foundation and co-organizer of the event.
Speakers will open the Expo at 10 a.m., with brief welcoming remarks. The Expand Your Playlist theme extends beyond recreation to explore local music, with KEXP DJ John Richards as emcee of the event. Live local music begins at noon with Pazifica, and Sera Cahoone will play at 2 p.m.
GO EXPO/Expand Your Playlist is also taking strides to build grass roots connections and broaden the voice of the outdoor community.
“GO EXPO is driven by nonprofits for nonprofits and represents the largest celebration in the state of outdoor nonprofits in support of one another,” said John Sherwin, President of the Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park and one of the organizers of the event. “With transportation options for people without cars and offering a range of classes and demos for everyone from refugees to Microsoft engineers, we have an event that we think embodies the true Northwest spirit of inclusion.”
The GO EXPO event comprises a range of activities including presentations on recreational activities such as fishing and camping, to local conservation, advocacy and nature study. Additional activities and opportunities include a climbing wall, kayak and paddle board demonstration, pack animals, geocaching, outdoor gear giveaways, camping food demos and live music. The Outdoor Expo will also feature educational displays by natural resource agencies as well as nonprofit organizations and businesses that produce outdoor products and services.
Access to state parks is free for day-use on June 10, in recognition of Get Outdoors Day. Visitors will not be required to display a Discover Pass.
For up-to-date event information, visit http://expandyourplaylist.org.
About National Get Outdoors Day
Get Outdoors Day—or GO Day—is part of a national campaign to encourage Americans, especially youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace the nation’s parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters. This year marks the 10th anniversary of GO Day. For more information, visit: http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org/
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About Washington State Parks
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages more than 100 state parks and properties totaling approximately 120,000 acres. The Commission provides a variety of recreation opportunities for citizens and provides stewardship protection for a diverse array of natural, cultural and historic resources. State Parks’ statewide programs include long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation.
Follow Washington State Parks:
Share your favorite state park adventure on the State Parks’ blog site at http://adventureawaits.com/
Support state parks by purchasing your annual Discover Pass today, and enjoy a whole year of outdoor fun on Washington’s beautiful state-managed recreation lands. For more information, visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
1111 Israel Road S.W.
P.O. Box 42650
Olympia, WA 98504-2650
Washington Telecommunications Relay Service: (800) 833-6388