5 Events On Next Washington State Parks Free Day

WESTPORT, WA — The next Washington State Parks free day happens Sept. 28 for National Public Lands Day. This is the third-to-last Discover Pass-free day of 2019, and there are plenty of activities happening (aside, of course, from the miles of trails and sights on display at state parks).

Here are five events to check out at state parks across Washington on Sept. 28. (All information from the state parks' website.)

Stewardship projects - National Public Lands Day

9 a.m. to noon, Bridle Trails State Park. Connecting to nature through service! Bridle Trails Park Foundation is teaming up with the Lake Washington Saddle Club and Park Ranger Matt Birklid for an autumn morning of park love. Stewardship projects will include the removal of invasive plants and weeds in and around event areas, trail tidying and trimming, and horse arena maintenance. Bring work gloves, hand pruners, steel rakes and hoes. Extra tools and work gloves will be available, and event volunteers can earn service hours. Volunteers of all ages will meet in the main event area of the park for a welcome and orientation before heading out to specific sites within the park. Groups are welcome and encouraged. The foundation will provide water, snacks and lunch for all participants. RSVP required.

Westport Light: Bike rodeo

2 to 4 p.m. This event is for children ages 4-13. A park ranger will do a bike safety talk on helmet fitting, tire inspection, and road safety prior to letting them try a fun obstacle course. Bring a bike, helmet, close-toed shoes and water.

Johnny Long & John Greyhound Maxwell

7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Ft. Worden State Park, Port Townsend. John Long's uncanny ability to sound like a prewar country blues player — even as he plays original blues pieces he wrote himself or with his older brother Claude Long — makes his music sound both like a facsimile of the 1920s and early-'30s blues 78s he so treasures while somehow simultaneously sounding refreshingly modern, maybe because nobody plays this kind of throwback blues anymore, at least not with the care and precision that Long brings to it.

Toy boat building

11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cama Beach State Park. Choose a hull and sail, drill a step for a mast, and build your very own toy boat! Younger children may need help using our hand drills and hammers, but everyone will have a great time decorating their boat with bottle caps, corks, and crayons.

Tours At Fort Simcoe State Park

1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Fort Simcoe State Park Staff will be on-site to give tours of the Commander's Quarters. The Interpretive Center will also be open.