Arlington County’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has received four awards at the Virginia Parks and Recreation Society (VRPS) annual conference. The department was recognized for Best New Special Event, Best New Program, Most Creative Marketing Strategy, and Best Health and Wellness Initiative in the population category of 200,000 and above.
These latest honors come after DPR was named the 2025 National Gold Medal Award winner for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management. This recent recognition highlights Arlington’s status as a leading park system both within Virginia and across the country.
“I am thrilled to celebrate these honors with our dedicated team of parks and recreation professionals and our partners,” said Jane Rudolph, Director of Arlington County’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “These awards speak to our commitment to bring engaging, accessible, and affordable programs and services to Arlington. The innovation does not go unnoticed and inspires our continued efforts to deliver dynamic experiences in our community.”
The initiatives honored were carried out during 2024. For Best New Special Event, DPR won for “Battle of the DJs,” an event launched in November 2024 that showcased teen participants from its Teen Entrepreneurial DJ program. The live event drew over 130 attendees with features such as a red carpet, photo booth, and a judging panel composed of local DJs from the DMV area.
In partnership with Affordable Homes and Communities Inc. and Arlington Public Schools—the only school district in Arlington County which enrolled 27,536 students during the 2023-24 school year according to data from the Virginia Department of Education (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home)—DPR also introduced free college tours for teens as part of its trip series. This initiative aimed at addressing race and income disparities among students pursuing higher education provided six college trips for more than 140 first-generation students or those living in affordable housing.
For Most Creative Marketing Strategy, DPR was recognized for its summer camp registration campaign focused on making enrollment easier for all families through community outreach efforts, language translation services, accessible resources, and increased emphasis on fee reduction programs. These actions led to record summer camp enrollments as well as a notable increase—21%—in fee reduction sign-ups compared to the previous year.
The Reevesland Farmhouse Transformation earned DPR an award for Best Health and Wellness Initiative. In collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, DPR restored this historic property so it could serve as a lifelong group home managed by L’Arche Greater Washington D.C., providing residential support for adults with developmental disabilities.
Awards were presented between October 26-29 at the VRPS Annual Conference held in Roanoke, Virginia. The conference is an annual gathering intended as a learning exchange among recreation professionals throughout Virginia; it culminates each year with formal recognition ceremonies honoring excellence within departments statewide.
According to VRPS guidelines, awards are given based on demonstrated excellence by individuals or organizations over the previous year.
The Department of Parks and Recreation stated that it remains committed to sustainable resource management alongside equitable access through inclusive programming across parks, sports fields, nature centers, playgrounds, community hubs, and other public spaces throughout Arlington County.
