Summer Fun at Los Angeles County Parks

L.A. County's popular and award-winning Parks After Dark program returns for the summer, providing opportunities for residents to come together in safe and welcoming spaces where they can access quality programming and a variety of services.

2 minute read

June 26, 2023, 11:00 AM PDT

By Clement Lau


The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is once again offering evening events this summer as part of the Parks After Dark (PAD) program. PAD brings communities together to enjoy various activities at 34 parks across the county. The program will run through August 5, with nighttime events happening every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

PAD started in 2010 at three County parks and expanded to thirty-three parks in 2019. For an eight-week period each summer, PAD extends hours of park operation by several hours at participating parks. The program offers family entertainment (like movies, concerts, arts and crafts, and free meals), sports and recreational activities (like swimming and dance), cultural and educational programming (like healthy cooking and financial literacy classes), and employment and volunteer opportunities for youth and adults. PAD parks also host resource fairs through which public agencies and community-based organizations provide health, social, economic, and legal resources to participants. Throughout all events, deputies from the Sheriff’s Department patrol and engage in activities alongside participants, which help to ensure safety and foster positive interactions between law enforcement and community members.

The program outcomes and benefits of PAD are well-documented. In an evaluation brief published in July 2018, researchers from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research reported that:

  • PAD programming like guided walking clubs, group exercise, team sports, and other physical activities helped to reduce costs for both the County of Los Angeles and the participants by reducing expenditures for treating chronic diseases. The report estimated savings of $1.1 million for 2017.
  • PAD’s safety efforts prevented 41 violent crimes and almost 480 nonviolent crimes in neighborhoods near County parks between 2010 and 2017. The reduction in crime saved the County about $2.2 million in criminal justice costs in 2017 alone.
  • New initiatives added to the program in 2017 provided participants with easier ways to access mental health services, as well as valuable gang intervention and other activities for at-risk youth and young adults. In 2017, PAD employed about 50 youth and young adults, including teens for whom the experience was their first job, and over 300 youth volunteered through the program.
  • As in previous years, concerts and movie nights remained PAD’s most popular offerings.

To serve children and families during school breaks, DPR launched the first ever winter edition of PAD in December 2018 and a spring edition in March 2019 with free programs and events for all to enjoy. In addition to sports and movies, the winter PAD offered holiday-themed programming and snow days. 

Friday, June 16, 2023 in KTLA5

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 7, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2, 2025 - SD News

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Pump station with blue pipes coming out of concrete wall in Seattle, Washington.

Seattle Builds Subway-Sized Tunnel — for Stormwater

The $700 million ‘stormwater subway’ is designed to handle overflows during storms, which contain toxic runoff from roadways and vehicles.

May 13 - City Observatory

Sign for Deschutes National Forest in Oregon.

Feds Clear Homeless Encampment in Oregon Forest

The action displaced over 100 people living on national forest land near Bend, Oregon.

May 13 - The New York Times

Seeing the Better City

Is This Urbanism?

Chuck Wolfe ponders a recommended subscription list of Substack urbanists and wonders — as have others — about the utility of the "urbanist" moniker.

May 13 - Resurgence: A Journey via Substack

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.