Fairhaven’s free outdoor yoga and Qigong program returns for 15th year

Fairhaven is bringing back one of its most practical summer wellness habits: free outdoor yoga and Qigong at Cushman Park, where the cost barrier disappears and the park becomes a repeat stop for anyone who wants to move, breathe and keep a steady practice going outside.

Wellness in Cushman Park is set for a 15th year and will run 10 weeks from June 16 through Aug. 21 at Cushman Park, 154 Green Street. The program is open to every experience level, which matters more than it sounds. Beginners get a low-pressure entry point, returning students get a dependable seasonal routine, and older residents can show up for movement without signing up for a studio package or committing to a long-term membership.

That free-to-the-public model is the point. The series has already delivered 300 free fitness classes since 2011, turning what could have been a one-off town perk into a long-running piece of local public health infrastructure. In a year when many people still weigh wellness against cost, free classes in a park do something simple and useful: they make participation easier to repeat.

The pairing of yoga and Qigong gives the schedule a wider reach than a standard outdoor flow class. Yoga brings the familiar breath, balance and mobility work that draws regular practitioners back every summer. Qigong offers a slower, gentler practice that can appeal to people looking for stress relief, joint-friendly movement or a first step into mind-body exercise. That combination helps explain why the series has lasted for years rather than fading after one season.

The program has also built a clear identity over time. Earlier local coverage showed it running under the former name Fitness in Cushman Park, and the 2025 season marked the 14th consecutive year of classes. That year, yoga was offered on Tuesdays and Qigong on Fridays at 8:30 a.m., with David Trauterman leading yoga and Cristina Corrieri leading Qigong. Earlier coverage also identified Jeff Costa as a yoga instructor for the series, underscoring how the classes have stayed rooted in familiar local teaching rather than chasing a flashy format.

Cushman Park gives the program room to work. The Fairhaven park includes softball fields, tennis courts, a running track, playgrounds, a concession stand, toilet rooms, a basketball court and a band shell, making it a true shared civic space rather than a narrow fitness site. That is why the return of free yoga and Qigong matters: it keeps wellness visible, accessible and tied to everyday public life.