Registration opened in late October 2025 for an event known as Run for the Trees – Happy Little (Virtual) 5K. A news release said registrants can complete their 5K anywhere outdoors – on foot, by bike, skate or paddle, or using a mobility device – anytime between April 18-26, 2026, to encompass Earth Day, April 22nd, and Arbor Day, April 24th. In 2025, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says the virtual run raised more than $41,000 for tree plantings and forest initiatives in Indiana State Parks, with more than 2,300 participants. The Indiana DNR says the virtual event was created by the Michigan DNR in partnership with Bob Ross, Inc. in 2020, and thirteen states have joined since then. Ross filmed his long-running television show, The Joy of Painting, in Muncie for over a decade.
For $36 per person, each participant will receive a keepsake Happy Little T-shirt, a commemorative bib number, and a finisher’s medal. The Indiana DNR says proceeds support tree planting and forest protection efforts in state parks and participants from Indiana should select Indiana on their registration to support Indiana State Parks. “The Happy Little 5K is a great way to celebrate Indiana State Parks and Indiana’s special connection to Bob Ross, while getting healthy outdoor exercise at the same time,” said Brandt Baughman, director of Indiana State Parks. “We are thankful to all who sign up and support the management of our parks’ natural resources.” For more information, visit runsignup.com/happylittletrees .
