Our annual Trail of Treats event at Collegial Woods Trails is held the second Saturday in October. This event is a family-friendly Trick-or-Treat with local vendors. Wear your costume and visit the booths for treats! The public can vote for their favorite BOOth! Food, prizes, and treats! If you or your business is interested in setting up as a vendor, sign up by clicking the link below.
Join us for our “Piece of the Park” Plant Sale on Saturday, October 15th at Mission Oaks Gardens from 10am until 2pm. Our plants this year are 20 native and (mostly) deer resistant species. Native species are very important to our native ecosystem. These plant species will make a great addition to curb appeal landscaping and pollinator areas in your backyard gardens when they bloom next spring and summer.
Join us for a Mystery Dinner Party at Pizza Cottage! Guests will step back into New York City's Little Italy during late 1940's to unravel the murder of Giuseppe (Pepi) Roni at the family owned restaurant. Tickets are $30.
Make A Difference Day with Muskingum Valley Park District! Please consider volunteering your time with us on October 22 at McGraw Edison Recreation Area. We will be focusing on fall prairie planting and invasive species removal. Thank you for your interest in making a difference with MVPD! Held annually on the fourth Saturday in October.
Escape Room
Mission Oaks Gardens
We are creating an escape room at Mission Oaks Gardens in mid-October through mid-November. This adventure will take you to a house in the woods looking for an antidote for a Death Cap mushroom poisoning. Will you follow the clues to solve puzzles and get the antidote in time?! Dates to be determined, but several times and days will be offered. Family-friendly. Max group of 5. Recommended Age 10+. Price is TBD. Registration is required!
Join us for Performing Arts in the Parks!
Join us for Performing Arts in the Parks Series! Reading, art, music AND theater!
This event offers a read-along with free books offered by the Muskingum County Literacy Council. A musical area and art table make-and-take. Family fun. Free to attend.
Enjoy the beauty of Mission Oaks Gardens including our Perennial Garden with a Fairy Garden. Our Conifer Garden has a gorgeous collection of Conifers and a pond with a waterfall feature. Explore Olga's Children's Garden for fun games and nature play area.
A Theater in the Park Presentation by Homegrown Players. Live show at 7pm at Westview Community Park. Part of our Performing Arts in the Parks series. Free. Bring a chair or blanket.
Conservation Kids summer program returning June 2022. Email Michelle at mlilling@muskingumcounty.org for information. Details and registration available in April.
Join us at Mission Oaks Gardens at 8:45pm to celebrate National Moth Week! We will have a setup to help us attract moths and conduct a survey. Participants will receive a Moth field guide by ODNR while supplies last. National Moth Week is a global citizen citizen event celebrated annually the last full week of July.
Join us for our “Piece of the Park” Plant Sale on Saturday, May 7th at Mission Oaks Gardens from 10am until 2pm. We will be celebrating National Public Gardens Day with events in the gardens AND welcoming the garden fairies back from Florida! Our plants this year are 20 native and (mostly) deer resistant species such as Wild Bergamot, Virginia Bluebells, Rattlesnake Master, Jacob's Ladder, Tall Sunflower, and Goldenrod. Native species are very important to our native ecosystem. These plant species will make a great addition to curb appeal landscaping and pollinator areas in your backyard gardens.
Interested in frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders? Want to learn about the macroinvertebrates (small animals without backbones) found in streams like dragonfly larva and mayflies? Looking for some outdoor family fun? Then join Michelle Illing with the Muskingum Valley Park District and Nicole Hafer-Lipstreu, Education/Outreach Specialist with Wild at Hart Wildlife Rehabilitation on Saturday, April 30th, at 2pm at McGraw Edison Recreation Area. We will be exploring the vernal pools, stream, and pond in search of the many amphibians that call the park home. Event is rain or shine. Please wear waterproof gear. You are welcome to bring a small container and a net to observe the critters we find. Limited supplies are available to use. Free to attend.
Mushroom Hunting Talk & Walk
Collegial Woods
Mushroom Hunting Talk & Walk will be on Saturday, April 23rd at 1pm at Collegial Woods Trails. This is a free event hosted by the Muskingum County Library System. More details to come.
Brought to you by the Muskingum Valley Park District, Muskingum Soil & Water Conservation District, and Muskingum County Library System. Bring your camera and take pictures of the scenery while you learn about the flora and fauna of the cold winter months. This event is free for the whole family.
Join the Muskingum Valley Park District for Fall into Fitness! Earn points for every event, every mile, and every business selfie! Track points Sept 18-Oct 31!
The City of Zanesville, Visit Zanesville, and the Muskingum Valley Park District present the Y-City Scarecrow Contest! During the month of October, all scarecrows will be on display on Fifth & Main Streets in Downtown Zanesville, and at Mission Oaks Gardens.
Vote on your favorite scarecrow daily throughout the month of October on www.visitzanesville.com. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive prizes including Zanesville swag, gift cards and a free rental in the Mission Oaks Gardens Visitor's Center.
Make A Difference Day with Muskingum Valley Park District! Please consider volunteering your time with us on October 23 at Collegial Woods Trails. We will be focusing on trail maintenance on the natural surface trails, including gravel placement and invasive species removal. Thank you for your interest in making a difference with MVPD!
Fall into Reading with Muskingum Valley Park District and the Muskingum County Literacy Council at Mission Oaks Gardens on Thursday, October 14th, starting at 5:00pm! We will have a rotation of fun activities including a Book Read Aloud with Cindy Lawyer, Arts & Crafts, Garden Tour, and more! Free, family-friendly event.
Join Muskingum Valley Park District at Collegial Woods Trails on Saturday, October 9, 2021 from 5:oo-7:00pm for a thrilling Trick-or-Treat style event brought to you by MVPD and area organizations. Wear your costume, bring your candy collector bag, and walk the TRAIL OF TREATS! FREE, family-friendly event. Vendor booth contest! If you are an area business that would like to set up a table, please CONTACT US for the registration link!
