Subscribe By Email
Enter your email address:











Park Director's Blog

24

Join us for Silly Saturday at Bluebell Beach
By Amy McMillan

(or...when was the last time you deliberately put whipped cream in your hair?)
 
Are you ready to spend one hour being very silly? Grownups, I'm talking to YOU!
 
Round up your kids and your friends and head to the bathhouse at Bluebell Beach this Saturday, August 27 at 1:00 p.m. and have fun with food! Spend an hour making whipped cream hairdos, tossing around pudding and other fun stuff. Prepare to get sticky, messy and definitely gooey, then wash it all off in the splash pad.
 
Wear your bathing suit or old clothes, because getting messy is the whole idea here. And this event is for all ages – even grownups, who never get to do this kind of amazingly good fun anymore!
 
By 2 p.m. you’ll be clean and cooled down in the refreshing waters of Mott Lake. And I’m guessing you will have laughed more in one hour than you have all week. How can you pass up that!
 
This event is free for everyone. Pre-registration is not necessary. All you need to bring is your beach towel and anyone who wants to have a lot of fun!
Share |
18

Catfish For A Cause
By Amy McMillan

 
Calling all catfish lovers! Grab your gear and get ready to head to the cat-fishiest spot on the Holloway Reservoir for the Genesee County Parks’ Catfish Derby.  It takes place Sunday, August 28, from 7 am until noon. Weigh-in is at noon at the Walleye Pike Boat Launch. (That will leave you plenty of time to get home and cut the grass…)

Here’s the skinny:
You can fish from a boat, from the shore, at the Holloway Dam, the Stanley Road Tubes and pretty much anywhere on the Reservoir. 

Michigan fishing regulations have a 10-per-day limit on Channel Catfish, and the fish have to be a minimum of 12 inches long. There is a 5-per-day limit on Flathead Catfish, and they have to be at least 15 inches long.

We’ll give a prize to the person who turns in the Big Fish, and to the three people who bring in the most weight. And there will be a catfish pole so you can show off your catch.

Got some favorite catfish recipes? Bring them along. We’ll post recipes at the weigh-in area. Cats are good eating, so you could end up with some mighty fine dinners for your efforts.

You’ll also be helping us reduce the number of catfish in the Reservoir, and that will improve the walleye fishing. Cats, you may know, just love baby walleyes.

Our thanks to Chapman’s Sports Center for donating prizes!
Share |
9

Summer Programs are A Big Hit, Thanks to Forbes, Martha and Thomas
By Amy McMillan

 For-Mar offers fun, educational programs for all ages.
Forbes and Martha Merkley ran a successful dairy farm fifty years ago. It sat just east of downtown Flint and included a fine spread of land with rolling open meadows, forests, wetlands and ponds. The Merkleys wanted to preserve the property and make it available to the people of Genesee County for nature study, environmental education and as a wildlife sanctuary, so they donated 380 acres for the For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum, which opened in 1970.
 
They also left a generous trust that funds educational programs, so anyone and everyone can take part in them!
 
Tomorrow’s free program (Wednesday, August 10) is "Rottin' Truth,” designed for children ages 4 to 6 and 7 to 12. The youngest kids will be introduced to critters who naturally make our world a cleaner place. The older kids will learn about funguses and other decomposers, which are much more interesting that you might think! The class goes from 11 am to noon. Pre-registration is encouraged but walk-ins are welcome.
 
There’s another fascinating program at For-Mar on Friday called "The Growing Gardeners: Butterfly Gardening." This one is for children ages 7 to 12, and it runs from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Registration is required by Wednesday, August 10, and the cost per child is $3.
 
Day Out With Thomas™
Every child’s favorite train, Thomas the Tank Engine, comes to Crossroads Village with his friends August 19 through 21 and 26 through 28. This is a special treat for children and adults alike – a day full of train rides, storytelling, live music and big fun.  
 
Day Out With Thomas™ requires the purchase of special tickets. Sorry, but season passes and discount coupons cannot be used on these days. If you want to save the cost of the convenience charge from buying your tickets online, you can purchase them right at the Village.
Share |
4

Train Lovers - This One is for You
By Amy McMillan

Railfans from all over the U.S. visit during this special weekend. 
If you love trains, Crossroads Village is the place to be this weekend! One of the Village’s most popular events, Railfans takes place August 6 and 7, and it is ALL ABOUT TRAINS!
 
The coolest thing about Railfans is that visitors get a once-a-year chance to see the Village’s Railroad Shop. This is the place where all of the behind-the-scenes railroad action takes place, where all the amazing railroad equipment is kept, and where all the train cars are repaired and restored.
 
It’s also where we store Car #8, which was built in 1875 by the Kimball Car Company of San Francisco, California. There are a few Kimball box cars still in circulation, but our beloved #8 is believed to be the last Kimball narrow gauge coach in existence. It was originally in service on the North Coast Pacific Railroad. Then it was moved to the Nevada County (CA) Railroad. And given people’s affection for trains, it’s no surprise that #8 was later converted into a home.
 
We obtained it in the 1970s and restored it, and I must say that #8 is a true work of art. It is also too fragile to be put into service any more, so we keep it safe at the Railroad Shop, and once a year, on this Railfans weekend, you can take a tour through it. 

For this special weekend, the railroad shop crew will move Car #100 to the rear of the train so passengers can enjoy the views from its exceptionally large windows. This beauty was built in the 1890s and was originally put into service on the National Railways of Mexico.

Come celebrate the magic of trains this weekend. Take the 40-minute ride on the Huckleberry Railroad through woods and meadows and along Mott Lake. Marvel at the artistry of #8. Enjoy the workmanship of the tiny villages that surround our model trains, and find treasures to take home in our Train Station Gift Shop.

Parking is, as always, free. Use your season pass this weekend or purchase tickets online or at the gate.
Share |
3

The Sound of Music
By Amy McMillan

 
Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer would love it! The Sound of Music, one of the world’s most beloved musicals, will be performed Thursday through Sunday at the Horton-Colwell Opera House at Crossroads Village, and the place is absolutely humming with excitement!
 
Kay Kelly is director of this Kearsley Park Players’ production. She has done her usual fabulous work, casting talented singers and actors, and masterfully moving 40 performers in and around the 142-year-old theater.  She even purchased authentic German costumes!
 
This is the story of the von Trapp family who lived in Austria as World War II was heating up. While the musical takes a bit of license with actual events, there is much truth to it. The von Trapps did sing, and they eventually escaped and made it to the US. where they settled in the northeast and opened a resort.

Since you probably do know the plot, you probably also know most of the words to most of the songs, which makes this a totally delightful event. I will have to stop myself from singing along.

Performances begin at 7 pm. Tickets are just $5 and can be purchased at the Crossroads Village or by calling 810-736-7100. Dress is casual. Dirndls and lederhosen are welcome.
Share |