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On August 25, 2016, the National Park Service will celebrate its 100th anniversary in protecting and preserving our parks for all of us to visit and enjoy. To honor the occasion, parks and their nonprofit partners across the country are holding events to encourage visitors to join in on the celebration.

Here are 10 Ways Nonprofits Are Celebrating the NPS 100th Birthday:

2016 Centennial Paddle Challenge

From April 22 to October 1, 2016, St. Croix River Association is sponsoring the 2016 Centennial Paddle Challenge and encouraging participants to paddle 200 miles along the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers in Minnesota and Wisconsin for a chance to win a brand new kayak.






Creative Performances at Yosemite Theater

Throughout 2016, Yosemite Conservancy presents Yosemite’s history and celebrates the National Park Service Centennial with live stage performances at Yosemite Theater that bring history to life, as well as films and presentations by Ranger Shelton Johnson.



Photo Credit: Credit: Keith Walklet




Naturalization Ceremony to Celebrate NPS Founders’ Day


On August 25, Harper’s Ferry Historical Association encourages visitors to witness a naturalization ceremony, co-hosted by the National Park Service and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, where a new generation of Americans will be welcomed to national parks.



Photo Credit: NPS/Michael Quinn




One Day Campaign Supporting Saguaro National Park

On August 25, the Friends of Saguaro National Park is hosting “One Day for Saguaro” – a special crowdfunding event, where the public is invited to donate to the Friends of Saguaro to support Saguaro National Park programs, research and more.






Founder’s Day Picnic at Independence National Historical Park


On August 25th, Friends of Independence National Historical Park will support a day of activities on Independence Mall including walking tours, games, live music with bluegrass-folk-rock band Mason Porter as well as a ranger-led campfire talk in the evening.






100 Words for Acadia – Centennial Flash Writing Contest

Friends of Acadia sponsors the 100 Word for Acadia contest and invites writers of all stripes to pen an original 100-word piece about Acadia in any genre, be it a poem, story, editorial, song, letter, or something else entirely. Submissions will be accepted from September 1 to September 30, 2016.



Photo Credit: NPS / Kristi Rugg




NPS Centennial Day at the Minnesota State Fair

On Monday, August 29, the National Park Service, Mississippi Park Connection, and other park partners will be taking over the Minnesota State Fair with hands-on activity stations and invites the public to attend live music, storytelling events, a trivia contest, games, and more!



Photo Credit: Minnesota State Fair




Founder’s Day Celebration at Valley Forge National Historical Park

On Saturday, August 27, Valley Forge Park Alliance celebrates the National Park Service’s 100th Birthday at the park. Kids' activities include a Centennial Activities Table in the Visitor Center, photos with Buddy Bison, Become a Centennial Junior Ranger activities, and opportunities to dress up like a Continental Soldier or Camp Follower.



Photo Credit: NPS/VAFO




CELEBRATE100! in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

On Saturday, August 20 the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park invites the public to volunteer for a Day of Service to remove invasive plants, maintain trails and plant trees to better preserve the park. On Sunday, August 21, the nonprofit, park and park partners will also be kicking off their CELEBRATE100! Party in Your National Park! An event filled with music, activities and a picnic – perfect for families visiting Cuyahoga Valley.






Grand Canyon Music Festival presents "Puhutawi" music

August 25 and August 27, the Grand Canyon Music Festival brings a new genre of Hopi music. "Puhutawi" takes the power and sophistication of Hopi traditional music and expands its sonic possibilities via fusion with contemporary chamber music, enticing the audience to listen to the environmental and spiritual forces that bring life and motion to the Grand Canyon, the Hopi ancestral homeland. Support for this program was provided by the Grand Canyon Association through funding from the "Imagine Your Parks" grant initiative, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Park Service that supports projects that use the arts to engage people with places and landscapes of the National Park System.



Photo Credit: NPS / W.Tyson Joye

Public Lands Alliance Nonprofit Members

The nonprofits featured are members of an important network to support all of America's public lands. Together, Public Lands Alliance members serve over 500 public lands sites nationwide in cooperation with their land management agency partners. To find out what our other nonprofit members are doing to promote, preserve and protect our public lands, visit our current members page.

Celebrating the Centennial Throughout 2016

The National Park Service and its partners will be celebrating the Centennial across the nation and throughout 2016. Be sure to check the NPS Centennial page here and check out the Find Your Park website to see other activities and celebrations at national parks near you.