Free admission at state parks on Black Friday

REI launched its #OptOutside campaign to encourage families and friends to take part in outdoor activities on Black Friday. A store manager who had been in the company for 13 years said that she and her family would truly enjoy the outdoors, since it is a rare chance to escape the shopping madness that Black Friday brings.

A month ago, outdoor retailer REI announced that it would pay 12,000 employees not to work this Friday in apparent protest against the rampant consumerism that has come to characterize the day after (and sometimes night of) Thanksgiving.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is waiving day parking fees on Friday, Nov. 27, at all 26 state parks that charge one.

Four other REI Woodland Hills employees shared “opt outside” plans that include running, mountain biking, mountain climbing and rock climbing, the last a fitting admission from Mark Stallings as he perches on a tall ladder accessing stored items.

In Washington state, Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks both are using REI’s #OptOutside hashtag to promote free entry on Friday, too.

There are a total of 56 State Parks to choose from in Tennessee.

Instead, the Opt Outside website allows visitors to say what they’re doing outdoors on Friday, or will suggest nature activities close to you… provided you’re in the U.S. A search for activities close to Toronto yielded a Missouri nature trail over 530 km away.

“We did this to share our passion for reconnecting with the people we love, in the outdoor places we love”, Stritzke said. He added there are times that people need a push to do something out of rote. “They’re closing all 143 stores across the country so it really is a pretty big movement to get all of our employees, customers and members outside on the trails”.

REI won’t disclose how much money it may stand to lose by shutting down on Black Friday, which is the top sales day of the year for many brick and mortar retailers.

I’m kind of liking this alternative to Black Friday shopping that’s being thrown around.