For 17 years, Massachusetts DCR has invited people to step away from the shopping frenzy on Black Friday, take a deep breath, and go outside. The program has a new name this year: Gratitude with Gravy. Eight locations across the state from the Berkshires to Boston, with ranger-led guided hikes, giveaways, and a philosophy that winter parks are underrated. Julie Martin, Director of Visitor Engagement and Programs at Massachusetts DCR, joins The Parks Podcast.
A note from Missy: Winter is a great time to visit our parks. And this new series highlights what is happening around the country. Massachusetts started this great program called Gratitude with Gravy, encouraging people to visit our parks after Thanksgiving. I love that MA is giving an outlet for people after the big meal, and a great activity to get in the holiday spirit.
Episode Guest
Julie Martin, Director of Visitor Engagement and Programs
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Program Details
- Program: Gratitude with Gravy (formerly Go Green) — 17th year
- When: Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving)
- Where: 8 locations statewide — Amherst, Andover, East Boston, Falmouth, Lanesborough, Sterling, Taunton, Turners Falls
- Hike lengths: 1–4 miles; ranger-led; staff on site
- Giveaway: Water bottle sticker with DCR’s new logo
- Self-guided options: Available for those not near one of the 8 sites
- First Day Hikes 2026: Massachusetts is the originator of First Day Hikes (now national); 2026 theme is “Join the First Day Hike Revolution” — locations announced within 2 weeks of airing; check mass.gov/dcr
- 2026 MA State Park Pass: $60, available on the Yodel app; goes on sale Black Friday
- Boston rinks: Open for public skating over Thanksgiving weekend
Episode Transcript
Gratitude After Gravy — Massachusetts Parks Invites You Outside This Holiday Season
The Parks Podcast, Episode 49 | Julie Martin, Director of Visitor Engagement and Programs, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Note: This is a mini episode recorded around Thanksgiving 2025. Event dates and program details referenced are specific to that time. Visit mass.gov/dcr for current programming and upcoming First Day Hikes on January 1st.
Winter Is a Great Time to Visit Our Parks
Missy Rentz: Winter is a great time to visit our parks and public lands. This year I’m launching a series of mini episodes featuring activities taking place in parks around the country. I hope you enjoy these episodes and enjoy some time in the parks.
Missy: We have a special holiday episode of The Parks Podcast. Julie Martin is here with me. Julie is the Director of Visitor Engagement and Programs at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Julie, it’s so great to meet you.
Julie Martin: Great to meet you too, Missy. I’m so excited to be here today.
Missy: So this holiday season, I’m throwing out gear that I recommend, and there are a lot of programs happening. Parks are a great place to go during the holiday season and wintertime. And for the 17th year, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is hosting Gratitude After Gravy — which the name is beautiful. What is this program?
Julie: Thank you. So we did a little refresh of our Go Green program — we decided to change the name a little bit this year to Gratitude After Gravy. We love that name. Gratitude After Gravy is a program where we are inviting visitors to come and explore and enjoy their state parks, burn off some of those holiday calories, and really escape from some of the crazy shopping that may be going on on Black Friday. Giving gratitude to the outdoors and being able to spend time with their families and friends. We are trying to give an opportunity for people to have some space to do that.
Where, When, and What to Expect
Missy: And where will these events take place?
Julie: Yeah, so we’re offering these events statewide. We have eight locations that we’re promoting — from the Berkshires to Boston. They’re going to be in parks in Amherst, Andover, East Boston, Falmouth, Lanesborough, Sterling, Taunton, and Turners Falls, Massachusetts. We tried to hit areas in all parts of the state, and we also have several self-guided opportunities as well. If one of these parks is not near you, you can go on our website and find our list of self-guided opportunities — or we’re just encouraging people to get outside at a local park. It’s just great for the mind and spirit to enjoy the outdoors.
Missy: Yeah, and I think a lot of people, when they think of parks, they think of spring, summer, and fall. But wintertime and particularly the holiday season is a great time to be in a park and explore the wonders of the outdoors.
Julie: It really is, Missy. We found — particularly after COVID and with some of the climate change — we are really busy 365 days a year. And we have lots of people that come out and enjoy winter programs. Winter hiking is particularly great because there are less crowds on the trails. And you can enjoy winter landscapes — waterfalls and streams and ponds, and wildlife. Wintertime is a great time to check for wildlife tracks as well as birds. It’s a beautiful season to enjoy all of those things in our parks.
Missy: So if you’re a newbie and you decide, I’m going to go participate in Gratitude After Gravy — what do I need to do to get ready for it? What do I wear? What do I take with me? How do I come prepared to enjoy?
Julie: So in Massachusetts we are expecting it to get a little cooler at the end of the week, so we do want people to come prepared. We recommend dressing in layers. Make sure you have a warm jacket, a hat, mittens or gloves, and sturdy footwear is key — either a good hiking boot or a sturdy sneaker will work great out on the terrain in Massachusetts state parks. And of course you want to bring your water. And every visitor that comes on a hike is going to get a water bottle sticker featuring our new logo. So people will be able to add that to their collection.
Missy: And what activities can people expect when they come out for Gratitude After Gravy?
Julie: The most important thing is that you will be greeted by DCR staff. So you’ll have experienced staff that will help lead people along these hikes. You may hear some educational or historical content along the way. And like I mentioned, hopefully you’ll be able to check out some wildlife — it’s a great time to see ducks and birds, and you may see some muddy deer tracks along the way. And really just enjoy the time away from the hustle and bustle, enjoy some solitude, enjoy camaraderie with community and your family and friends. It’s a great opportunity for people. I hope people come out and enjoy these hikes.
Missy: And is it for kids, grandparents, dogs — things for all levels?
Julie: Yeah — check out each of the hike details and listings. Some of the hikes do not recommend bringing dogs for various reasons. But we try to have a variety of different experiences. Some of the hikes may be shorter in distance and some are a little bit longer — the hike length ranges from one mile to four miles. So we do want to make sure people are prepared for a longer hike. You just have to know what your ability is. And like I mentioned, we do have staff that will be making sure people are safe and have those tips before they start their journey.
First Day Hikes — Massachusetts Started a National Tradition
Missy: Massachusetts is known for putting together incredible winter park programming. You all are the founders of First Day Hikes — for those who aren’t aware, it’s where you encourage people to go hike on the first day of the year. That started in Massachusetts and is now taking place in parks all over the country. I know you all are planning to announce plans in the next couple of weeks, and I hope you’ll come back and share those with us — I would love to talk to you more about that program as well.
Julie: I’d love to, Missy. We’re very proud of First Day Hikes and in Massachusetts we start revolutions — and we’ve been celebrating our 250th anniversary of the nation. We are very excited to celebrate our revolution. So we’re going to be inviting people to join the First Day Hike Revolution on January 1st, and we’ll be unveiling our locations within the next week or two. People should be on the lookout on our website, mass.gov/dcr, for those hike listings.
Missy: So we’ll be ready for that on January 1st. But this weekend — Gratitude After Gravy. Where can people find out more information?
Julie: Right on our website, mass.gov/dcr — there’s a big icon that people can just click and get all of the information and details. And also just want to mention a couple of other things happening this weekend: our Boston area skating rinks are going to be open for public skating — all of the times are also on our website. And on Friday, our 2026 parking passes are going to be available for sale. They are $60 for a year pass, starting January 1st to December 31st.
Missy: What about annual park passes? That’s one of my favorite things to give to people — a park pass. Does Massachusetts have an annual park pass?
Julie: Yes, that’s what I was referencing — it’s the annual car pass. $60. It’s going to be available on the Yodel app — Y-O-D-E-L. And you can purchase it right on there. It’s a great gift. Giving the gift of adventure and an experiential gift is popular these days. So we hope people will take advantage of that. It might be something different and unique to give your friends, coworkers, and colleagues.
Missy: It’s a great gift. We’ll put all the links that you mentioned on the Parks Podcast website. Julie, thank you so much for joining us. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope Gratitude After Gravy is a smashing success.
Julie: Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to let folks know about this great program. Thanks, Missy. Happy Thanksgiving.
Missy: Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for listening everybody, and we’ll see you in the parks.
Music for The Parks Podcast is performed and produced by Porter Hardy. Follow us @TheParksPodcast or visit TheParksPodcast.com.