Welcome to the Parks & Recreation Department

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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. 

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

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.

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

The 2008 Fall Brochure is available at www.LFRec.com !  

Resident Registration July 31, 2008 8:30a.m.

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 (203k - 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 (1Mb - 9 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

Creating Community through People, Parks and Programs… you will find this message on our front cover and carried throughout the brochure. You may not have thought of our services in this fashion before… creating community. You may have had a more basic view of the benefits of parks and recreation which is to provide your family with fun programs and parks. However, to the Lake Forest Parks and Recreation professionals involved with the delivery of your leisure services, it is more than a catchy slogan. We approach every day with the strong belief that our many services are essential for creating a quality community from which every resident benefits. This broader sense of importance is validated when you take a moment to consider that parks and recreation not only grows better communities, it creates community. Consider the following ….no other service provider in the community serves as diverse of an age range, offers such a huge variety of enrichment opportunities, connects people together from neighborhoods throughout the city or does so within such a wide variety of natural and positive environments. Our parks and services help sustain your home’s value and we play a major role in the economic health of the community. For instance, did you know that the Parks and Recreation Department is the number one employer of youth and that we employ hundreds of adults year-round in order to deliver the full gamut of recreational and park services? Our people, parks and programs fosters human development, increases cultural unity, promotes health and wellness, protects our environmental resources, and strengthens community image and sense of place. We offer the connectivity that is essential in today’s world when it seems easier to “plug in or tune out.” And the list could go on…. As you browse through this most recent publication of programs and recreation services, I hope you take a moment to reflect on the broader role your parks and recreation department truly plays. Through our people, parks and programs we provide the framework and backbone that creates the community that we all love and call Lake Forest. 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.