Parks and Recreation Takes Home Four Top Virginia Awards

Published on October 30, 2025

Arlington County’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) received four honors at the Virginia Parks and Recreation Society (VRPS) annual conference, winning awards 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 awards follow DPR’s recent recognition as the 2025 National Gold Medal Award winner for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management, underscoring its status as a leading park system in the state and the nation.

"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."

Submissions were for initiatives carried out in calendar year 2024, and Arlington took home the award in the following categories:

• Best New Special Event: Battle of the DJs

  DPR debuted this innovative, teen-driven event in November 2024 to showcase the talented members of the Teen Entrepreneurial DJ program. The live event drew over 130 attendees and featured a red carpet, photo booth, and a judging panel made up of local DJs from the DMV.

• Best New Program: Teen College Trips

  To help address race and income disparities amongst students pursuing continuing education, DPR added free college tours to its teen trip series. Through a partnership with Affordable Homes and Communities Inc. and Arlington Public Schools, DPR provided six college trips for over 140 first-generation students and teens living in affordable housing.

• Most Creative Marketing Strategy: Summer Camp Registration
  In 2024, DPR executed a comprehensive summer camp marketing campaign focused on making registration more accessible to all families. The team built a strategy that prioritized in-person community outreach, accessible resources, language translation, and an emphasis on fee reduced programming. Efforts contributed to our department’s highest number of summer camp enrollments and a 21% increase in fee reduction sign-ups from the year before.

• Best Health and Wellness Initiative: Reevesland Farmhouse Transformation
  In an innovative partnership, Arlington County Parks and Recreation worked with Habitat for Humanity to oversee restoration and expansion of the historic Reevesland Farmhouse. The preserved piece of Arlington County history now provides a lifelong group home managed by L’Arche Greater Washington D.C. for adults with developmental disabilities.

The awards were presented Oct. 26-29, 2025, at the VRPS Annual Conference, held in Roanoke, Virginia. 

About Virginia Parks and Recreation Society

The Virginia Parks and Recreation Society aims to unite all professionals, students, and interested lay persons engaged in the field of recreation, parks, and other leisure services in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The annual conference, held this year in Roanoke, Virginia, is a learning exchange for recreation and park professionals. The highlight of each year’s conference is a formal presentation of awards honoring individuals, departments, and organizations throughout Virginia who have demonstrated excellence in any of the several areas during the previous year.

About Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation

The Department of Parks and Recreation is committed to stewarding sustainable resources and equitable access through inclusive programs, services, and public spaces. From parks, sports fields, and nature centers to community hubs, playgrounds and state of the art facilities, the parks and recreation professionals of Arlington County are committed to stewarding sustainable resources and equitable access through inclusive programs, services, and public spaces.