Neighbor Appreciation Day at SNP

Residents of the nine counties bordering Shenandoah National Park, including Rappahannock, get in free this Saturday (June 18) for the park’s annual Shenandoah Neighbors' Day. Show your Virginia driver’s license at the gate and the park’s usual $20 vehicle fee will be waived. There are also 10-percent food and retail-shop discounts at park concessions and a 20-percent discount at the Shenandoah National Park Association bookstores at the Dickey Ridge and Byrd visitor centers.

Stop by the “Community Connections Tent” at Byrd Visitor Center (mile 51) from 9 to 4:30 to learn about the rich heritage and diverse activities, events, and amenities available in our surrounding communities.

Special events on Saturday include a 10 a.m. program by Jeff Alt, author of “Get Your Kids Hiking: How to Start Them Young and Keep It Fun” at the Byrd Visitor Center auditorium. Jeff teams up with park rangers to lead kids and accompanying adults on a short hike loaded with handson family hiking tips and ways to explore the outdoors. This short family stroll turns a walk in the park into a fun-filled, multi-dimensional adventure. Learn how a few simple techniques and some basic equipment can turn any walk in the woods into a safe, fun-filled adventure that kids of all ages and parents will enjoy.

The Centennial Celebration Concert Series’ “Music in the American Wild” performance is 1:30 p.m. in the Byrd Visitor Center auditorium — and follows the free “Music in the American Wild” concert at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, June 17) at

the Theatre in Washington. Both concerts are part of a new music initiative honoring the centennial of the National Park Service by performers affiliated with Eastman School of Music, who’ll be premiering 11 new distinctly American works inspired by the history and wonder of the national parks.