It has been almost two years since the Journal of Leisure Research resumed publication, and we have grown and evolved during that time. It is apropos that we introduce our two special relaunch issues during this year, which marks the 50th volume of JLR. While JLR officially launched in 1968, regular publication of a full volume of the journal began in 1969. As such, 2019 can also be considered a hallmark year for the Journal of Leisure Research. During the past two years we have revised our aims and scope to be more inclusive of leisure-related topics, including recreation, parks, tourism, events, and sport. Broadening our scope, while keeping leisure a central theme, is important to attract the most cutting-edge research and knowledge being generated in our field and helps to reestablish JLR as a leading scholarly research journal with an international focus. This special issue is a celebration of the return of JLR and encompasses articles that focus on trends and issues of interest and concern in our field. The articles in this special issue represent an array of topics that address important current issues, including the innate need for nature, the effectiveness of park prescriptions, the value of nostalgia in leisure experiences, and the case for scholarship on race in the context of leisure. Further, Dustin and colleagues contemplate how effective our academic curricula are at developing engaged citizens who act as change agents in their communities, and Parr and Schmalz assert that several issues (e.g., curriculum changes, faculty qualifications, academic department name changes) may make our field's theory and philosophy vulnerable to being appropriated by researchers in related disciplines. They recommend ways we should change to enhance our relevancy in higher education and research. The following are some highlights of the articles from this special issue. The authors position their articles as addressing more critical social, cultural, and educational issues that may help our field enhance our relevance.