A different Black Friday sale: Free state park admission

Black Friday is almost here, and while we encourage you to do your holiday shopping at local retailers, the crush associated with the first official shopping day of the season is enough to make anyone want to spend the day at home under a blanket.

Delaware State Parks would rather you did neither. This Black Friday (Nov. 29), it will participate in the #OptOutside, an initiative launched in 2015 by the Washington State-based REI, which decided to close its stores on the day after Thanksgiving so its employees could spend the day outdoors instead.

It’s become a bit of a movement, and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Parks & Recreation has been supporting it for five years now by waiving its fees for all state park entry on the 29th:

This Black Friday, change the consumer mindset and spend your time outdoors! Delaware State Parks is a proud supporter of #OptOutside and is waiving all park entrance fees on Friday, November 29. To learn more, visit: https://t.co/YoN8ZVBvnz#destateparks #Rei #getoutside pic.twitter.com/hoSpSndhdW

— Delaware State Parks (@DEStateParks) November 19, 2019

In addition to the state parks, the Brandywine Zoo will waive its entry fee.

Delaware has 17 state parks, ranging from a free network of city parks in Wilmington (including Rockford Park, Brandwine Park and H. Fletcher Brown Park) to the 5,300-acre Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes. Most have an entry fee of around $5 daily for in-state visitors.

The parks include:

• Alapocas Run
• Auburn Valley
• Brandywine Creek
• Bellevue
• Cape Henlopen
• Delaware Seashore
• Fenwick Island
• First State Heritage Park
• Fort Delaware
• Fort DuPont
• Fox Point
• Holts Landing
• Killens Pond
• Lums Pond
• Trap Pond
• White Clay Creek

Don’t forget to dress warm, and take lots of pictures — use the hashtags #DelawareStateParks and #OptOutside.