Tag: family fun

Storytelling Guild’s Children’s Festival in Jacksonville

The Storytelling Guild presents Annual Children’s Festival every July  at the beautiful Britt Gardens in Jacksonville, Oregon. For many years, the festival has provided fun-filled summer days of affordable entertainment for the entire family!

The first Children’s Festival was in 1967 and began as a small storytelling program, billed as: “A Child’s Fun ‘N Fantasy Afternoon” and was held under the trees at Britt Gardens in Jacksonville. The turnout for this one-day event was so tremendous, 200 children, that it was repeated the next day for another 300 children!

It was apparent that this was an important program and plans were readied for a true Festival in 1968. The Storytelling Guild and the Jackson County Library began planning by recruiting volunteers from the mothers who attended the first Festival. Sixteen volunteers and the local chapter of the American Association of University Women planned for that second year.

The second festival drew 2,000 children. The third, 4000 and by 1981, the Children’s Festival was attracting 15,000 visitors!

At the festival, children and adults will enjoy a variety of booths with hands-on arts, crafts,  science projects and feeding of the litter eating dragons. All activities are included with the price of admission! Older children will enjoy activities such as: candle making, pottery and wood working, while younger children will have a chance to make their own puppet, sand and easel art, and have their faces painted. In addition to fun hands-on projects, you can sit back and enjoy storytelling, child focused entertainment and stage performances.

Admission is $3 per person per day (adults and children). Food is available for purchase inside the festival at the yummy Dragon Deli. The goal has always been to offer an amazing day of entertainment and education for a reasonable cost.

 

The mission of The Story Telling Guild and Children’s Festival is to expose children of all ages to the magic of imagination and to instill a love of books and the joy of reading.

 

For more information visit:

 www.storytellingguild.org/childrens-festival.html

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THE KIDS DASH

The 8th annual Kids Dash is June 8th, 2019 at the Grants Pass High School track. Gate opens st 8AM. Entry fee is $10/child.

The Kids Dash was founded by Dr. Nate Tanner. It has been a KidZone Community Foundation event since 2014.

The Kids Dash includes runs for children ages two through middle school as well as relay races for the whole family, a 1600 meter run for middle school and advanced runners, a foam dart javelin throw, standing long jump, a giant slingshot game and the Hue-man race, our version of events like The Color Run(TM).

 

The Kids Dash will also have a full carnival which is free to all  and is sponsored by Asante Physician Partners.

 

New this year will be an opportunity to participate in games with student-athletes from the University of Oregon presented by the Oregon Athlete Foundation.

The event also feature a Wellness Midway with presentations by many local fitness and health-related organizations.

Please visit www.kidzonefoundation.org/kids-dash/ for more information.

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Easter Egg Hunts and Easter Bunny Visits 2019

            This year Easter Sunday falls on April 21, 2019.

                               Please arrive to Egg Hunts early, they happen quickly.

The Rabbits Are Coming to the Northwest Nature Shop. Saturday, April 13th from 11am-2pm. 4-H members gladly share their knowledge of raising and caring for rabbits. Bring the kids, learn about rabbits and hold a bunny.
Free! 154 Oak Street, Ashland (MAP) 

 

 

Easter Bunny at Harry & David Country Store.                   April 13 & 14, 19 & 20 from 11am-4pm, hoping through the store for photo opportunities and with candy. Free. 1314 Center Dr. Medford.  (MAP)

 

 

Rogue Valley Mall Eggstravanza! Saturday, April 20th, 2019. Noon-4pm. Bounce House, games, hands on activities, candy, prizes and more! Free. 1600 N. Riverside Ave. Medford. (MAP)

 

 

The Palms Cafe Easter Event.  10am-2pm. Saturday, April 20th, 2019. The Easter Bunny will be outside the cafe doors for your little ones to get a FREE picture! There will also be gift basket raffles. 501 S. Front St. Central Point.  (MAP) 

The Village at Medford Center Easter Find. Saturday, April 20th, 2019 at 1pm for kids 12 and under. Parents must sign kids up at the booth by the security office for them to participate. Eggs will have candy and prizes (some prizes mom & dad will totally want) Live music from Frankie Hernandez from 1-3pm.  Free community event. 711 Medford Ctr. Medford. (MAP) 

Central Point Eggstravaganza!                                                                10am-2pm on Saturday April 20th, 2019. Bring your basket for Egg Hunt at 11am sharp. Free games and activities. Visit the Easter Bunny. Family fun day at Twin Creek Park, Central Point.  (MAP)   

 

 

 

Medford Kiwanas Easter Egg Hunt.                                                   10am on Saturday, April 20th, 2019 for ages 0-9. The Easter Bunny is never late. Pear Blossom Park in Medford. (MAP) 

 

 

 

Eagle Point Easter Egg Hunt.                                                                  11am on Saturday April 20th, 2019. Shasta & Main Streets. Eagle Point. (MAP)

 

 

 

Rogue River Easter Egg Hunt.                                                                   10am on Saturday April 20th, 2019.  Beck Field ( W. Main & Berglund) in Rogue River. For children ages 10 and under with a special area for children 5 and under. Come and enjoy a fun and colorful Easter Egg Hunt with special prize eggs too. Coffee, hot chocolate and donuts available. (MAP) 

 

Easter Egg Hunt at Community Bible Church. Saturday, April 20th, 2019 at 5pm. Easter Egg Hunt with Hot Dogs served after. Service at 6pm. 500 N. 10th St. Central Point. (MAP)

 

Easter Egg Hunt in White City                                                       Saturday, April 20th, 2019  with Breakfast pizza from 8:30am-10:30am. Egg Hunt at 11am. Easter Bunny visits. Table Rock Elementary School, White City.  (MAP)

 

 

 

ROC  Food Pantry Easter Egg Hunt.                             Saturday, April 20th, 2019  from 1-2:30pm. Games, prizes, candy rain or shine at Reinhart Volunteer Park (All Sports Park) in Grants Pass. (MAP)

 

 

Free Helicopter Easter Candy Drop.  Saturday, April 20th, 2019 at 11am (weather permitting). Ages 0-12 years. New Hope Christian School, 5961 New Hope Rd. Grants Pass. (MAP) 

 

River Valley Church Egg Hunt. Saturday, April 20th, 2019. 10am. Ages to 6th grade at Lawnridge Park in Grants Pass.(MAP)   … also at 10am at 2193 Midway Ave in Grants Pass. (MAP)

 

 

Wolf Creek Easter Parade and Easter Egg Hunt. Saturday, April 20th, 2019.  Breakfast starts at 8am, parade at noon to the Wolf Creek Park where Easter Egg Hunt begins. (MAP) 

 

   Mckee Bridge Easter Egg Hunt.  1pm Saturday, April 20th, 2019. Ages 0-12 rain or shine. Free food, drinks, games, prizes, photo booth, Fire Dept. demo (MAP) 

 

 

 Rotary Club of Ashland Easter Egg Hunt.                                       1pm sharp on Sunday, April 21st, 2019 for ages up to 10 years. Easter Bunny at noon near the tennis courts in Lithia Park, Ashland (MAP)

 

 

Easter Celebration at Troon Vineyard.                    11 -4pm on Sunday, April 21st, 2019. Egg hunts, egg decorating, live music, bounce houses,  Easter Bunny visits & more. (MAP) 

 

Children’s Easter Egg Hunt in the beautiful Voorhies Mansion formal gardens at EdenVale Winery in Medford  on Sunday, April 21st, 2019.  11:30-2:30pm. Family activities, games, prizes, Easter Bunny. Ages 1-5 years $10 hunt at 12:15, Ages 6-12 years $15 – hunt at 12:50pm. check in at 11:30am. Dress attire preferred.  For more details 541-512-2955 x2.  (MAP)

Easter Egg Hunt in Grants Pass at Riverside Park. Saturday, April 20th, 2019 at 10am.  (MAP)

 

 

Easter Egg Hunt in Merlin. April 20th, 2019 at 10am. Merlin Community Park.  (MAP)

 

 

Easter Egg Hunt in Cave Junction                                                           Sunday,  April 21, 2019 at noon the Easter Bunny comes, Easter Egg Hunt at 1pm sharp at Jubilee Park, Cave Junction,541-659-1074   .   (MAP) 

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RANGER -LED SNOWSHOE WALKS AT CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

In an average winter, Crater Lake National Park receives 43 feet of snow! Ranger-led snowshoe hikes are a fun way to explore this winter wonderland while learning how plants, animals, and people survive the harsh conditions.

Every Saturday and Sunday (and some holidays) Crater Lake National Park offers free guided snowshoe walks. Ranger-led snowshoe walks are a fun way to explore this winter wonderland and learn how plants and animals survive the snowy months. Walks are offered to visitors ages 8+ on weekends  December through April, with additional weekday hikes in late December and early January.

The two-hour walks start at 1:00 p.m. and cover one mile of moderately strenuous terrain. Walks are off-trail explorations through the forests and meadows at the rim of Crater Lake. No previous snowshoeing experience is necessary. Snowshoes are provided free of charge, but advance registration is required. Space is limited on walks. For more information and to sign up, call the park’s visitor center at 541-594-3100 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants should be at least 8 years old and come prepared with warm clothing and water-resistant footwear.

The weather that gives us spectacular winter recreation also presents people with challenging road conditions. Throughout the fall, winter, and spring, visitors should come prepared for snowy, icy roads, and limited visibility. Before you leave home, ensure that your vehicle is equipped for winter conditions and that you are comfortable driving on snowy roads. Visitors must have traction tires on their vehicles or carry chains, and know how to use them. Drive for the conditions; the posted speed limit is not always a safe speed. Visitors may encounter heavy snow removal equipment on park roads. Please drive slowly and give plows and other heavy equipment plenty of space.

Crater Lake National Park is open 365 days a year. The Steel Visitor Center is open every day except December 25, and food and gifts are available in the Rim Café and Gift Shop year-round except on Thanksgiving Day and December 25. For independent explorations, snowshoes are available for rent at the Rim Café and Gift Shop. Lodging and gasoline are not available in the park from mid-October to late-May.
For more information on winter conditions, services, and programs in Crater Lake National Park, visit our website at www.nps.gov/crla.

 

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Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life at ScienceWorks

BRAND NEW WILD MUSIC EXHIBIT PROVIDES A MUST-SEE, MUST-DO,
MUST-HEAR EXPERIENCE
Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life opens February at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum
  1. Whales compose, bullfrogs chorus, songbirds greet the dawn, and people everywhere sing and dance. What do we all have in common? Visitors of all ages will find out in February, when Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life, a brand new, hands-on exhibit that explores sound and music in nature and in life, makes its debut at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum located at 1500 E Main St. in Ashland, Oregon.
Wild Music invites visitors of all ages to expand their understanding of what makes music. Through whimsical, hands-on activities, they’ll not only hear the music that surrounds them every day, but they’ll see and even feel it too. They’ll discover that nature is filled with “musicians” that create distinct musical masterpieces to communicate with and relate to one another. And they’ll explore how human music is inspired by the music of other living creatures – from tiny insects to giant whales.
Highlights of Wild Music include:
  • Three different “soundscapes” that invite visitors to explore sound and music that comes from the ocean, the forest, and the city. Visitors will learn to interpret spectrograms, or “pictures,” of bird songs, learn what whale cries tell us about the animal’s life cycle, see samples of instruments from around the world, experiment with how sound travels underwater, explore how music influences memory, and more.
  • The Jamming Room, a soundproof practice studio where visitors can use pre-recorded audio soundscapes, animal voices, percussion instruments, and live vocals to compose their own songs.
  • The Bioacoustic Lab, where visitors can experiment with how the human voice works and how it compares to that of other animals, specifically birds. Here, visitors can explore a model of the human larynx and the bird syrinx, use an electrolarynx to “speak” without using their voices, and use a set of vibrating metal reeds to “feel” sound.
  • The Power of Sound and Music Theater, where visitors can sit back, relax, and experience sounds from around the world. The seven-minute, sound-driven video demonstrates – both visually and audibly – how animals use sound to identify themselves, communicate, and form and nurture social groups.
ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum is proud to be partnering with Rogue World Music and local organizations around the Rogue Valley to provide unique programming at the Museum for the exhibit’s duration (Saturday, February 2 – Monday, September 2). This exhibit is made possible by Richard and Elizabeth LeVitt, a Community Grant of the Oregon Community Foundation, Lithia 4 Kids, the Olsrud Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation, the Jackson County Cultural Coalition and Anonymous donors.
For more information please call 541-482-6767 or visit scienceworksmuseum.org.
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U Pick Organic Cherry-picking Days at Valley View Orchard

June is cherry-picking month in Southern Oregon!  If you don’t have your own cherry trees to pick from, consider heading over to Valley View Orchard at exit 19 in Ashland next season.

 

This organic Farm also offers U-pick peaches, apricots, grapes and more when in season, so mark your calendars and follow them on Facebook for their Picking Times.

 Taking children on an outing to the farm teaches them where their food comes from and gives them a sense of accomplishment as they “hunt” for the best produce to choose.  But make sure it is an organic farm or orchard to insure the safest, pesticide-free foraging for the little ones.

Dress comfortably in loose-fitting close to accommodate lots of reaching, stretching and walking.  Tennis shoes (no open-toes) are a must, and wearing a hat naturally protects little faces from sun and the heat of summer.  Buckets are provided by the farm, but keep in mind that the trek back to the farmhouse to pay can be a long one with a full bucket of cherries.  We always ask for two buckets each and fill them only half full or less to make the return trip and checking out a breeze.

Be prepared to hear, “This was my most favoritist thing to do ever!” , as you drive away from the farm, with little  lips smeared in cherry juice and smiles that reach from ear to ear.

Karen Daggett Austin
Owner, True Juice organic Café’ and Nana to five kiddos who LOVE to garden and pick fruits and veggies

 

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Pterosaurs Exhibit opens at ScienceWorks Museum in Ashland

Pterosaurs explores what a pterosaur is (and is not), when and where they lived, how they moved and ate, and how diverse the Pterosauria order is.

 

The exhibit is geared towards a 6th-grade reading level, but families with both younger and older children will find things to do. Compare yourselves against the scale model of the Quetzalcoatlus, the largest pterosaur known at 18 feet tall and with wingspan of 31 feet.

Examine the fossils of the more-commonly known Pteronodon and Pterodacytl species to see the variety of sizes and shapes that a pterosaur had.
For those looking for an interactive, virtual-reality environment, two stations are set up so that you can pretend to be a pterosaur, flying through the sky to catch your dinner of bugs, or to avoid being eaten for dinner yourself!

 

 
Release your artistic side with a third VR station that allows you to investigate the colors, feathers, skin, blades, bills and wings that pterosaurs had, and design your own! As the summer progresses, additional stations and options will be added to the exhibit, so be sure to visit more than once to see how the exhibit changes and grows.

 

Entry to the exhibit is included with the price of admission to the museum, and the exhibit will be open to the public from April 28th through December 31st. Starting in May, the museum’s days and hours will change to Tuesday-Sunday, 10AM – 5PM for both the academic year and summer months.
For more information 541-482-6767 or visit scienceworksmuseum.org

 

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Railroad Park Opens for the Season

City of Medford Railroad Park Opens for the Season
Opening day for Medford Railroad Park is Sunday, April 8th, 2018! Dozens of volunteers have been working hard to bring you an even more special park! Ride diesel trains and a motor car, view unique model railroad layouts and the Hogwarts Express, ride Thomas and Percy, tour historical railroad equipment and more. Bring the whole family, pack a lunch or eat at the Park. It’s fun for all ages.
Medford Garden Railroaders. See a G-scale logging railroad, trolley barn and lines, and seaport areas, including five water features! A separate Thomas and Friends garden railway will especially please the youngest railroad lovers, and the Hogwarts layout, added for Harry Potter fans, is designed so that tweens can run the Hogwarts Express train by remote control. New this year “Butterfly Garden” with over 150 plants designed to attract butterflies, bats & Osprey.

 

Rogue Valley Model Railroad Club. Ten HO scale trains, engines whining and horns blaring, operate across hundreds of scale miles of track, through working signals and crossing gates at the Highway 99 railroad crossing, between Medford and Klamath Falls, on the Pacific and Eastern Railroad, including the heavily forested climb out of Keno along the Klamath River. Children can help operate trains on a special HO layout.
The Southern Oregon Live Steamers. 2018 is their 37th year of offering free train rides to the public. Pulled by a variety of locomotives on almost two miles of track, each exciting train ride takes about nine minutes to go over and through all the tunnels, bridges and hills. The park favorite for the very young is the Thomas and Friends loop encircling the large Garden Railroad layout, with Thomas and Percy leading special trains built for small kids only.
The Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society. Tour restored 1910 and 1942 cabooses and a 1959 flanger (a type of snowplow), and view restoration work under way on Medco 4 ─ a local 1925 steam locomotive. Ride the motor car, visit the Museum, and the “Learning Caboose.”
The Railroad Park is open to the public from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of each month from April through October. The park is operated by volunteers, and admission and parking are free. No tax monies are used in the operation of this park. All four clubs rely on the generosity of the public for donations to help offset the various costs involved in maintaining and expanding this one-of-a-kind Northwest attraction. This popular attraction is a unique collaboration between the City of Medford Parks and Recreation Department, the Medford Fire Department, and the four volunteer-based clubs.
The Railroad Park is located adjacent to Fire Station No. 4 at the intersection of Table Rock Road and Berrydale Avenue in Medford, just a few blocks north of the Rogue Valley Mall.
Note: Parking is limited. We encourage visitors to carpool or use public transport when possible.
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Meadowlark Comic Con – Saturday, May 12th 2018

Meadowlark Comic Con, a full-scale pop culture and comic convention, comes to Ramada Medford Hotel and Convention Center and brings an array of celebrity guests from different genres of entertainment.

Rogue Valley fans will have a rare opportunity to meet Mindy Sterling, known for her role as Frau Farbissina on Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Austin Powers in Goldmember and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Mindy Sterling’s film and television credits also include Friends, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Justice League Unlimited, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Robot Chicken, Desperate Housewives, iCarly, The Legend of Korra, Minions, Voltron, and her Emmy-nominated performances in Con Man and Secs and Execs.

Mindy Sterling will be joined by Keone Young, who has hundreds of on-screen and voice over credits to his name including Men in Black 3, Crank, Crank: High Voltage, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars Rebels, Kaijudo: Rise of The Duel Masters, Sons of Anarchy, True Blood, Naruto: Shippûden, G.I. Joe: Renegades, Deadwood , G.I. Joe and Transformers.

Anime fans will be treated to meet and greet with Joe Ochman, who gave his voice to characters in Gundam Origins, Mobile Suit Gundam F91, Patlabor 2 The Movie, Cowboy Bebop, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, The Little Polar Bear, Digimon: Digital Monsters, Naruto, Duel Master, Bleach, Pokemon Origins,  and Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo.

Also appearing at Meadowlark Comic Con are Alison MacInnis (Pink Ranger) and Sasha Craig (Yellow Ranger) from Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, as well as Jackey Neyman Jones who starred in the cult classic that many label as the ‘worst movie ever made’ — Manos: The Hands of Fate.

No convention is a comic con without professional Marvel and DC artists, and Meadowlark Comic Con has their comic book aficionados covered: Chris Marrinan who worked on classic titles like Excalibur, Wonder Woman, Nova, Doctor Strange, and Matt Haley whose credits include The Defenders, Superman, Wonder Woman ’77, will be at the show to meet their fans, sign autographs and do sketches and commissions.

Attendees will also be able to shop from various exhibitors and creators, play video games, meet local cosplayers and fan groups, attend celebrity guest panels, and compete in a cosplay contest for a trophy and a cash prize.

Show open 10 am – 5 pm at Ramada Medford Hotel and Convention Center Saturday, May 12th, 2018. All ages are welcome.

Tickets available online at www.meadowlarkcomiccon.com (adult 12+ $10, kids 5-12 $5, kids under 5 y.o. free) or at the door (adult 13+ $15, kids 5-12 $8, kids under 5 y.o. free).

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Annual Umpqua Festival of Lights and World’s Largest Nutcracker 

 

Driving through Riverbend Park in Roseburg, Oregon, you will see over  90 animated displays which are lit up by over 500,000 festive lights. This must see Holiday spectacle showcases many fun and unique lights shaped into everything from the classic Santa to dinosaurs and spaceships. New to the lightshow this year are character depictions from Disney’s Frozen. You will also be able to see the World’s Largest Nutcracker!

While you enjoy the lights be sure to tune into the local radio station provided at the entrance which will be playing Christmas music to complete your Holiday joy ride.

This family friendly event is not only a perfect outing, but the $10.00 per car entry fee also provides scholarships as well as funding for local community projects.

The Umpqua Festival of Lights opens at the end of November  and runs through January 1st.            You can drive through the park Sunday-Thursday from 5:30 pm to 9 pm & Friday and Saturday nights from 5:30 pm to 10 pm.

Wagon rides through the lights are also available on Friday and Saturday’s from 5:30 pm to 10pm and on Sunday’s from 5:30 pm to 9 pm for $5.

Before you enter the park stop by the Holiday Village to visit Santa, model trains, cookies, warm cider, and purchase souvenirs. The Holiday Village is open every night with free entry until Christmas Eve.

Gather your family and friends for a drive to the Umpqua Valley Festival of Lights located at 380 River Forks Park Rd, Roseburg, OR 97471.

A wonderful tradition for the season.

http://www.umpquavalleyfestivaloflights.com

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