Summer in the Parks

Two girls prepare to fly a "summer in the parks" kite near the Washington Monument

NPS photo

“When you mention Summer in the Parks to a real Washingtonian, the first thing they’re gonna think about is Anacostia Park”
Greg Peete

Summer in the Parks was a program designed and implemented through collaboration between NPS, DC Parks and Recreation, as well as Black community leaders and Black youth groups. The program was well-attended and included field trips to different parks, day programs for children, and frequent musical events for people of all ages. The program ran from 1968 to 1976, providing unique, fun, and free experiences to more than a million visitors over time.

 

Cooking on an outdoor grill at Catoctin Mountain Park ca. 1970.

NPS photo

Though plans for the Summer in the Parks program had been in the works for years, it had originally been limited to National Park camping and day trips. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, along with the riots and increased civil tension following his death, resulted in increased federal funding for the program. Expedited and revamped, Summer in the Parks took
on a new meaning; a way to heal a hurting city.

While Summer in the Parks was a massive initiative spanning over multiple states, parks, and programs, Anacostia was well known for its performance space. There were innumerable performers, from big names like Earth Wind and Fire to local bands like the Young Senators and Experience Unlimited. There were dance groups, drum circles, and youth plays.

“When you performing and you see a crowd bobbing their head or clapping or dancing and whatever… That’s like a high you can’t buy. You can’t pick it up off a store and drink and all. No, it’s a good feeling. Like you scored an A on an exam. It’s -- you can’t describe it.”
Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott of Experience Unlimited (EU)

 

Jupiter Company of a Summer in the Parks production of "Hair," July 5, 1971.

NPS Photo

Focused on healing the city and uniting the local community, Summer in the Parks musicians were neighbors and peers. Many were high school students playing in bands that were hired by small clubs with limited audiences. Not only were their Anacostia performances seen by tens of thousands of people, but young artists were able to connect with more experienced mentors. This gave them a handhold into the music industry, and DC became a jumping-off point for Go-Go music. Go-Go was a subgenre of funk, with roots in Black musical culture. It featured audience participation in a call-and-response format and became an iconic piece of Washington DC history and culture.

“Summer in the Parks was um, one of the heights of live music and fun and family and just coming together as, you know, a group of people with unity, love, and respect for one another.”
Greg Peete (Child and adult musician participant)

Besides its importance for musicians, Summer in the Parks concerts were life-changing for audience members. Before concerts, children could come to Anacostia Park for a freshly grilled hot dog, a cold soda, and a spool of cotton candy. Young black community members were hired as event staff and paid well (about 6x that time’s minimum wage). The events were safe, so parents could take the evening off and let their children attend alone. The park was a place to meet new people, connect with old friends, and escape the exhaustive heat of long DC summers.

“I thought it was a great idea… it gave people an opportunity; you know to come out and hear us if they hadn't heard us. [Our] audience was… whites and blacks… especially during that hippie movement time… people were more free in their minds.”
Frank Hooker