Geauga Park District Quarterly Offerings: August 2017

Prairie Flowers Picnic

• Wednesday, August 16th, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Frohring Meadows, Katydid Shelter – Before the heat of the day, enjoy a leisurely stroll through the colorful prairie, then enjoy your own picnic lunch in the shelter. Bring lunch, and wear long pants and closed-toed shoes for some off-trail walking to get up close to some of the plants. Not wheelchair/stroller accessible. Nature’s Not to Be Missed.

Senior Day: Astronomy

• Thursday, August 17th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Observatory Park – Seniors, start the morning with a pancake breakfast, then enjoy a morning filled with astronomy, a planetarium show and the features of this International Day Sky Park! Tours of the trail will also be given on the EZ Go Cart. A collaboration with Geauga Department on Aging and University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center. Registration required. Partially wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Grandparents Summer Farewell Fest

• Friday, August 18th, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• The Rookery, Great Blue Heron Lodge – Grandparents and grandchildren, enjoy a morning of Nature fun for all ages! Mostly outdoors, so dress for the weather with comfortable shoes; sandals and flip flops not recommended. Please bring snack to share. Registration required. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Geauga Lyric Theater Presents Love’s Labour’s Lost

• Friday, August 18th, 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.
• Big Creek Park, Amphitheater
• Saturday, August 19th, 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.
• Chickagami Park, Amphitheater – In this delightful Shakespeare comedy, adapted by Eric Schmiedl, four hapless scholars swear off the distractions of love, an oath which lasts until their solitude is interrupted by four beautiful young women. Presented by Geauga Lyric Theater Guild and director Mark Cipra. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Nassau Astronomical Station Opening Celebration

• Saturday, August 19th, 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
• Observatory Park – The renovation of this historic building is complete – come see it! Evening activities include tours of the new Nassau Astronomical Station, planetarium shows, telescope viewing, make-n-take crafts, balloon artists, a food truck and free hot dog dinner, the Geauga County Public Library’s Fun Bus and the film “WALL-E” shown at dark! Partially wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Nights Out in the Parks: Movie Night

• Saturday, August 19th, 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
• Observatory Park – Come for the finale of our family Nassau celebration, an outdoor showing of Disney Pixar’s “WALL-E”! Not wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Caterpillar Extravaganza

• Sunday, August 20th, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Come ready to be wowed by live caterpillars of many species on display for close-up viewing. Make a craft and hold a caterpillar. You may even bring a caterpillar in for ID! Wheelchair/stroller accessible. Nature’s Not to Be Missed.

Partial Solar Eclipse

• Monday, August 21st, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Observatory Park – Watch the moon cover up the sun during Ohio’s first solar eclipse in years! Try out several methods of viewing the sun safely, model the eclipse, and try hands-on activities. Maximum eclipse around 2:30 p.m. Wheelchair/stroller accessible. Nature’s Not to Be Missed.

Geauga Walkers

• Tuesday, August 22nd, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Swine Creek Reservation, Valley Shelter – Hikes for active seniors 1 to 1 ½ miles long. Naturalist led. Call Geauga Senior Center for full schedule, 440-279-2137. Not wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Astrotots: Animals in Space (Ages 3-5 w/adult)

• Wednesday, August 23rd, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday, August 26th, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Observatory Park – Laugh as you learn about lots and lots of animals that have been launched into outer space! Where did they go? Why did they go? Come and you’ll know! Don’t miss the out-of-this-world excitement of this premier class in Geauga Park District’s new pre-K series. Registration required. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Maple Town Tune Traders

• Thursday, August 24th, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• The West Woods – All genres, instruments and skill levels welcome. Come to play, sing or simply enjoy as audience. Snacks to share welcome. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Moth Baiting & Black-lighting

• Friday, August 25th, 9:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
• Swine Creek Reservation, Woods Edge Shelter – Discover beautiful moths of late summer drawn to black and mercury vapor lights, and hike through the woods to check on trees that have been baited with a special concoction to lure in some of the most beautiful moths of the year, the Underwings! Bring a flashlight. Partially wheelchair/stroller accessible. Nature’s Not to Be Missed.

Nature Break: Women’s Retreat

• Saturday, August 26th, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Headwaters Park, Boathouse – Fee: $6.00 – Take a break to relax in the park with kayaking, biking and other Nature-related activities. Bicycles available to borrow or bring your own. Fee: $6.00 includes lunch. Registration required. Partially wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Nights Out in the Parks: Mo’ Mojo

• Saturday, August 26th, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Big Creek Park, Amphitheater – Enjoy this hard-driving, high energy, Zydeco-based “Party-Gras” band! Held inside nature center if inclement weather. Refreshments served. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Nassau Night Sky Viewing

• Saturday, August 26th, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
• Observatory Park, Nassau Astronomical Station – Take in the wonders of the night sky using the newly restored 36″ Nassau telescope. In case of unfavorable weather, take a tour of the Nassau Astronomical Station and enjoy a planetarium show in the McCullough Science Center. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Nassau Astronomical Station Open House

• Sunday, August 27th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Observatory Park, Nassau Astronomical Station – Stop in to discover this amazing new facility and all it has to offer! Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Don’t Tern Over for a Plover: Canoe Float (Ages 12+ w/adult)

• Sunday, August 27th, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• LaDue Reservoir, Rt. 44 Parking Lot South of US 422 – Paddle the lower leg of LaDue Reservoir to see Caspian terns, plovers, sandpipers, herons, eagles, osprey and other amazing birds. Bring your own boat and binoculars or reserve ours. Phone registration opens August 20th. Not wheelchair/stroller accessible. Nature’s Not to Be Missed.

The Art of Rearing Caterpillars

• Sunday, August 27th, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• The West Woods – Field Naturalist Tami Gingrich has been raising butterflies and moths her whole life, and she will pack this presentation with unbelievable photos and helpful techniques for raising your own, as well as some live specimens on display. Wheelchair/stroller accessible. Nature’s Not to Be Missed.

Polliwog Paddle Family Canoe (Ages 5+ w/adult)

• Sunday, August 27th, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Eldon Russell Park, Horwath’s Shelter – An easy-paced, short-distance float on the wildlife-rich Upper Cuyahoga River for families. Registration opens August 20. Not wheelchair/stroller accessible.

West Woods Wednesdays Farm Market

• Wednesday, August 30th, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• The West Woods – Purchase locally made/grown items at The West Woods the last Wednesday of each month through September! Visit  for details. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

The Great Geauga County Fair

• Thursday, August 31st – Monday, September 4th, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Geauga County Fairgrounds, Natural Resources Area – Visit our building to meet the Monarch Butterfly and learn what’s new with Geauga Park District! Daily live Monarch taggings at 1:30 p.m. as butterflies are available. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.