Recreation Department Information

Welcome to the Parks & Recreation Department

Creating Community Through People, Parks and Programs!

Thank you for visiting the Parks & Recreation Department, located in the Recreation Center at 400 Hastings Road. The Recreation Center offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

It's time to plan your summer and unleash the excitement!

The complete summer camp guide to a fun-filled summer is available to view right now! Click on the image of the catalogue to view page-by-page opportunities or go to www.LFRec.com to view the registration information by camp.

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You can register online at www.LFRec.com, visit the Recreation Center office, or mail in your registration form. Get ready for season full of fun in the sun!

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Award-Winning Department

The Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Department achieved the highest honor when it was awarded the 2005 National Gold Medal Award. The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association presented the award.

The department was honored as the best in the category of communities under 25,000 in population. The Gold Medal is recognized as the most important and celebrated park and recreation award in the country, and Lake Forest is proud to be considered among the best in management, staff and dedication in serving the park and recreation needs of its residents.

An organizational chart (14k - 1 page) for the Parks and Recreation Department can be viewed or downloaded.

   Former Parks and Recreation Director
   Fred Jackson and Assistant Director Wendy
   McKiernan accepting the prestigious National
   Gold Medal Award

The 2009 Spring/Summer Brochure is available to view at www.LFRec.com!

You can view all of the programs by activity on LFRec.com. If you do not want to register on-line, or you can download a Registration Form

(55k - 2 pages) to fax, mail or hand deliver to the Recreation Center. Contact 847-234-6700 if you have any questions.

The Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Department is committed to providing residents of all ages positive experiences through a variety of high quality programs, activities, and services under the direction of professional and dedicated staff who are responsive to the changing needs of the community. Keep up to date with our monthly newsletter, P.R. News

(133k -6 pages), filled with information about all the different program areas.

We are always looking for part time employees to meet the constantly changing needs of the Parks & Recreation Department. If you are interested, visit the employment page for current opportunities.

Also, let us know how we are doing. If you love a program and think the instructor is fantastic, give them a "high five." Our High Five Form

(20k - 1 page) is a way of saying thanks for the hard work. These go into the employee's file and are published for everyone to see. It is nice to tell someone they are doing a great job.

On-line Registration Anytime ..... Anywhere!
Lake Forest residents are able to register for Parks and Recreation Department classes on line at www.LFRec.com. To access an on-line account, you will need to have an email address on file with the department along with an account user ID and PIN number. Call the Parks and Recreation office at 847-234-6700 or email to lfrec@cityoflakeforest.com for more information. In order to make on-line registration available to Lake Forest residents we had to change our registration system. Registration is taken on a first come first serve basis now. You can register at your convenience anytime......anywhere......

"From the Park Bench" - by Mary Van Arsdale, Director of Parks & Recreation

I recently attended the Illinois Park and Recreation Conference which is an educational conference for park and recreation professionals throughout the state. An acquaintance asked me what services we were cutting back in light of the struggling economy. My colleague was surprised by my answer which was “Very few. We are actually expanding our services where we see the need.” While we are revisiting services that are duplicated in the community (such as multiple outdoor ice rinks), we strongly feel that the variety and quality of services are more important than ever. While it may seem to be at odds to expand while in the midst of the worst recession in a generation, we believe our services are absolutely critical to helping maintain a healthy community. We can serve a vital role in providing positive outlets and experiences for adults and children during these challenging times. Research has shown that experiences make us happier than possessions and that recreation services provide an essential conduit for connecting to others. This connection, or opportunity to relate to others such as family and friends, will build a healthier individual, family and community.

Expanding our programs and services will also create local job opportunities and keeps the revenue in our community. To be sure, several important development and capital projects have been deferred until the economy gains momentum, but this is allowing us to put even more attention to our programs and parks.

A recent example of this commitment is the addition of the game room at the Recreation Center. Formerly the Rec Diner, this space will now provide a drop-in facility so the teen group has a place to hang out with their friends and to recreate in a very positive and safe environment. We also expanded many of our activities held over spring break.

Make no mistake, we are eager for the recession to end. However, we are more committed than ever to “Building Community through People, Parks and Programs.” See you soon at a park or recreation program!

Mary Van Arsdale
Director of Parks and Recreation

Please take time to enjoy a recreation program and visit our wonderful park sites!

Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association

NSSRA is a partnership that provides year-round recreation and leisure opportunities for children, teens, adults and seniors with disabilities. For more information about NSSRA, please call 847-509-9400, email to info@nssra.org or check their website, www.nssra.org.

For information about NSSRA inclusion services in our programs, contact Wendy McKiernan at 847-615-4331.