NOVA Parks News
THROWBACK THURSDAY—NOVA PARKS—A HISTORY OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY
Northern Virginia is a mosaic of cultures. Since World War II, when the federal government started bringing in people from all over the country, the region became ever more cosmopolitan with each passing decade.
60 years ago civic leaders in Northern Virginia established NOVA Parks (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority) because they wanted something like a state park system, but not one like the segregated system Virginia had in the 1950s. When NOVA Parks opened its first pool (Bull Run) in 1969 it was designed and opened as a facility for everyone. This was a time when other pools in the region were closing rather than integrate.
In the mid-70s NOVA Parks built Hemlock Overlook as an outdoor adventure experience for the area school systems. For many, this was one of the most memorable outdoor experiences of their youth, as children of all backgrounds zip lined through the forest. Today grants help the schools with the highest need bring their students to have is great experience.
NOVA Parks partnered with the City of Falls Church, Fairfax County, and the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation to create the region’s first Civil Rights Park, one that tells the story of how one of the very early chapters of the NAACP was founded in our area.
This year NOVA Parks partnered with the Loudoun Chapter of the NAACP to dedicate a marker that tells the story of Orion Anderson who was lynched in the late 1800s on the W&OD in Leesburg.
At the Carlyle House Historic Park, regular programs have been held to help decedents of the enslaved learn about their genealogy and family history.
Working with the Korean-American community a truly unique feature was built at Meadowlark Gardens. The Korean Bell Garden was funded by donations. Today, it is one of the cultural jewels of the region, incorporating symbols from both Northern Virginia and Korea.
As one of the largest venues in the region, the Bull Run Special Events Center now features many of the top community events of the region. Festivals with 6,000 – 10,000 people a day include Bolivian Independence Day, several Pakistani events, the largest Persian event in the region, Afghani Independence Day, more than one Punjabi Indian festival, Festival of Colors, as well as NOVA Pride. These events celebrate the diversity that is part of the identity of Northern Virginia Today.
NOVA Parks is proud to have a history over many decades of supporting inclusion and diversity in the region in many ways large and small. As public lands, parks are where people come together to create community.
