Carson Smith wasn’t expecting to rub elbows with a celebrity when he arrived at South Park to celebrate the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department’s recent Gold Medal Award finalist recognition from the National Recreation and Park Association.

But that’s exactly what greeted Smith — and about 100 of his colleagues — around noon Tuesday, when actor Jim O’Heir, star of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” presented the Lawrence department with its finalist plaque from the NRPA.

Lawrence Parks and Recreation was one of four finalists this year for the coveted Gold Medal Award, which recognizes excellence in parks and recreation management. The department ultimately lost the honor to St. George Leisure Services in St. George, Utah, last month.

“For those who don’t know who the hell I am, I’ve been on the show ‘Parks and Recreation’ for the past seven years,” O’Heir told the crowd after making his surprise entrance from behind some greenery. “We got to know a lot of different places from throughout the country, and you guys work really, really hard.”

O’Heir, who has starred as Garry (aka Larry, Terry and/or Jerry) on “Parks and Recreation,” was already in the area — performing in a Kansas City production of “You Can’t Take it With You” — when family friend Susan Chaney, of Lawrence, asked him about the possibility of presenting the award, said Lawrence Parks and Recreation marketing supervisor Roger Steinbrock.

As far as Lawrence’s Parks and Recreation amenities go, O’Heir’s impressed.

“This park is gorgeous,” said the actor, who had plans to stroll down Massachusetts Street for lunch at 715 before heading back to Kansas City in time for Tuesday night’s show at the New Theatre in Overland Park.

The appearance was a complete surprise to most staffers, Steinbrock said, many of whom lined up to take selfies with O’Heir after the brief ceremony in front of South Park’s gazebo.

Smith, a student at Northwest Missouri State University and intern for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, recognized O’Heir immediately.

Like his colleagues, he wasn’t expecting more than a pizza luncheon at the park. Once the “Parks and Recreation” theme song started up over the audio system, however, he knew something was up.

“I thought, ‘It has to be somebody from the show,'” Smith recalled moments after shaking hands with O’Heir, who jokingly referred to him as April, the acerbic intern played by Aubrey Plaza on “Parks and Recreation.”

A longtime fan of the sitcom, Smith thought he’d shoot a quick “shoutout” video with the TV star for his roommate Conrad back in Maryville.

“I think he’s in class right now,” Smith said of his “Parks and Recreation”-obsessed pal, who hadn’t responded to the video yet as of 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“He’s probably going to hate me for the rest of my life because I actually got to meet him.”