Shenandoah National Park will waive entrance fees for all park visitors on Saturday, June 16 in honor of Park Neighbor Day, an annual event held on the third Saturday of June to honor our neighbors who live in the counties and gateway communities surrounding the Park.
Shenandoah National Park will host a Neighbor Appreciation Festival at the Big Meadows Wayside (mile 51 on Skyline Drive) from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to stop by to see exhibits displayed by our park neighbors that showcase their wonderful amenities including places to eat, places to stay and places to play. The Park’s partner organizations will also be present to highlight the important activities they undertake to support Shenandoah National Park. There will be local musicians playing every hour and food and beverages to purchase outside. The event will be held rain or shine, but will be cancelled in the event of extreme weather.
Superintendent Jennifer Flynn said, “Shenandoah National Park is a part of the fabric of our communities, providing over $96 million in economic benefit, as well as health benefits and recreational opportunities. The Park’s surrounding communities enrich our lives and our visitors’ experiences with their vibrant downtowns, agritourism, and historical resources, including Civil War battlefields and so much more. We hope many of our neighbors will take advantage of the fee free day to rediscover the park and enjoy the activities offered during Park Neighbor Day.”
Another special event will also be taking place at Byrd Visitor Center (mile 51 Skyline Drive) on Saturday, June 16 from 11:00 a.m. – noon). Renowned author Jeff Alt will present a program featuring interactive time travel adventures based on his book The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time Traveling through Shenandoah National Park. Jeff’s Bubba Jones stories are designed to engage kids with wild animal encounters, interesting history, science, and the environment and will have your entire family excited to take your own Shenandoah adventure. This program is free to park visitors.
Shenandoah National Park’s official concessionaire, Delaware North will welcome park neighbors by providing residents of the surrounding counties with discounts. They will provide a 10% discount on select items in their retail stores and a 10% discount on food and some non-alcoholic beverage items at all their restaurants. Visitors wishing to take advantage of these discounts will be required to provide proof of residency by showing their Virginia driver’s license.
For more information about our special events, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/special_events.htm.
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