Free winter fun at Preservation Parks in Delaware

Preservation Parks in Delaware County offer lots of free events for the whole family all year long. Most programs have restarted at the parks, so you’ll find plenty to do while enjoying some fresh air – and it’s all FREE.

photo: Preservation Parks

Year Round fun at Preservation Parks

Letterbox Adventure

Explore the parks a Letterbox Adventure. The clues will take you on an exploration of different parks in Delaware County, but instead of a letterbox, you’ll find hidden animal plaques! Letterbox Adventures are different each season, so you can participate more than once per year!

Complete the form on the website to receive your Letterbox Adventure PDF booklet that includes instructions on how to do the current Letterbox, plus directions to earn a fun prize pack.

Once you’ve solved all of the clues, follow the directions to collect your prize! Winter Letterbox Adventure runs from December 20-March 20.

Fun at Gallant Farms

Gallant Farm represents a 1930s Delaware County family farm with a farmhouse, barn, livestock and lots more. 
Winter Hours: September-April: Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 5 p.m.
Summer Hours: May-August: Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 p.m., and Sunday 12-5 p.m.

Gallant Farm 2150 Buttermilk Hill Road.

FLEX Trails (Free Local EXercise)

Want to do more than walk? Head to Char-Mar Ridge park and use the FLEX Trail guides for a bodyweight workout that’ll give you a challenge. These signs give visitors optional guided bodyweight workouts throughout their hike or run to encourage physical wellness and a more interactive experience on the trails. You’ll find exercises like walking lunges, squats, tricep dips, and more.

Discover Delaware County Scavenger Hunt

Looking for more fun in Delaware? Learn about many natural and historical features of Delaware County! During this scavenger hunt you will be following the clues and visiting each of the 18 townships. Read each township clue before you go so you’ll be prepared for what you’re looking for. Once you collect the information, you’ll find the secret phrase form at the bottom of this page. Note: the prize submission portion of this challenge is over, but it’s still a fun way to get out of the house and explore! Find details and clues here when the next program is announced.

This is a great activity for school-age or older kids, and can even make for a fun birthday adventure if you grab a sweet treat at the end.

Winter fun at Preservation Parks

Golden Marathon Hiking

Mondays, November 29-March 28 at 1:30 pm. See schedule for location each week. 

Presented by SourcePoint. Ages 55+. Enjoy an approximately two mile walk with older adults in beautiful parks. Registration begins December 20 at MySourcePoint.org/ec or with customer service.

Winter 100

January 1-March 31, 2021. Walk 100 miles or 100 kilometers (62 miles) this winter to stay healthy during the cold weather. Register, log your miles, and be connected to a community of walkers. Learn more and register here after December 27. You’ll receive a tracking form, information on how to join the private Facebook group, and more!

Savoring Sunset Series

Sunday, December 12, 4:30 p.m. (ETP)
Sunday, January 9, 5 p.m. (BCP)
Sunday, February 6, 5:30 p.m. (GWP)

Hike with the intention of savoring the beautiful gift of sunset. Each sunset brings the opportunity to witness unique beauty, cultivate gratitude, and experience joy as our planet twirls towards night. We’ll hike peacefully together and highlight walking meditation practices. Ages 7+. 

Railroad Fun at Sandel Legacy Trail

Saturdays, December 18, January 15, February 19 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sundays, December 19, January 16, February 20 from 12 – 4 p.m. 

Stop in at the model railroad display open houses and meet members of the Delaware County Model Railroad Club. They are available to talk about the history of railroads in America and model railroading. 

WHOOOO GOES THERE?

Friday, January 14, 7 p.m. (GWP)
Friday, February 11, 7 p.m. (ETP)

Join two nocturnal adventures into the woods and fields to call for owls and learn about their natural history. Ages 7+.

Little Adventurers

Wednesday, January 26 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Gallant Woods Park
Saturday, January 29 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Gallant Woods Park

Explore and get comfortable in nature with your little ones! Bundle up as we discover what the winter season offers with informal stations featuring handson activities and crafts. Please dress for the weather. Ages 0-5, with adult

National Seed Swap Day at Gallant Farm

Saturday, January 29, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Farmers and gardeners save seeds and starts from plants for the next year’s planting season. Delaware County Master Gardeners will celebrate our 6th annual National Seed Swap Day at Gallant Farm. Seeds and materials to learn about heirloom plants will be available for farm visitors as takeaways for all ages.

Learn to Crochet Series

Tuesdays, February 1, 8, 15, and 22, 6:30 – 7:30 P.M. Deer Haven Park Classroom. Ages 12+ Register by January 25, $20 per person Learn to crochet in this four-week series. Each week will focus on a different step in the crocheting process and participants can take their work home to practice! Each participant will receive a ball of yarn and crochet hook to keep at the end of the series.

Birds & Brews

Saturday February 19, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Enjoy a good cup of hot coffee and watch birds at Deer Haven Park. They’ll provide the coffee and the birds, while you enjoy a relaxing hike along the trails. Afterwards, head into the Visitor Center and celebrate the Great Backyard Bird count with crafts and other fun activities! Visit the live Owls at the aviary while you’re there. All ages.

Maple Syrup Weekend at Gallant Farm

Saturday & Sunday, February 26-27, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Come to Gallant Farm and see how maple syrup is made from the tap in the tree to the evaporator pan. Then sample some of this sweet product and enjoy self-guided tours of the grounds and farmhouse.

Preservation Parks in Delaware County

Blues Creek Park
9627 Fontanelle Road, Ostrander, OH 43061

Char-Mar Ridge Park
7741 Lewis Center Road, Westerville, OH 43082

Deer Haven Park
4183 Liberty Road, Delaware, OH 43015

Emily Traphagen Park
5094 Seldom Seen Road, Powell, OH 43065

Gallant Farm
2150 Buttermilk Hill Road, Delaware, OH 43015

Gallant Woods Park
2151 Buttermilk Hill Road, Delaware, OH 43015

Hogback Ridge Park
2656 Hogback Road, Sunbury, OH 43074

River Run Park
168 Main Road, Delaware 43015

Shale Hollow Park
6320 Artesian Run, Lewis Center, OH 43035

Future Park (Pollock Road)
1271 Pollock Road, Delaware, OH 43015

Summer Fun at Preservation Parks

Fishing Fun at Blues Creek Park

All ages Children 6 and under must be assisted by an adult. Come out and learn the basics of fishing and try your hand at angling some of Ohio’s most common species of sport fish! Poles and bait will be provided, but feel free to bring your own.

Saturday, August 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m

Summer Concert Series

Concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are held at Gallant Woods Park, 2151 Buttermilk Hill Road, Delaware
July 8 Tucker Aviation; Food Truck Paddy Wagon
July 15 Spittin’ Image; Food Truck Our Daily Mana
July 22 Lone Raven; Food Truck Taquitos
July 29 Lords of Literature; Food Truck Holy Crepes

Story Walk  and Science Says… 

Science Says…”Track the Past” at Emily Traphagen Park
Search for and follow dinosaur footprints to catch a glimpse of the amazing animals who lived here millions of years ago. Thanks to science, we can witness what the world was like even before history was written. 
Enjoy the Story Walk book, “The Dinosaur Expert” by Margaret McNamera.

Science Says…”Take a Closer Look” at Deer Haven Park
Discover the natural world up-close. Jump on the trail to see wetlands, forests, and prairies from a different perspective. Our eyes can only show us so much, but thanks to science, we are able to explore the micro world around us! 

Science Says… “Be a Star” at Blues Creek Park
Investigate an astronomy focused adventure and story walks to discover astounding facts about our Milky Way Galaxy and our sun. Our eyes can only show us so much, but thanks to science, we can reach out and explore our universe beyond planet Earth. 
Enjoy the Story Walk books, “Sun! One in a Billion” by Stacy McAnulty and “The Milky Way and Other Galaxies” by Ellen Labreque. 

Fall Fun at Preservation Parks

Night Hike Series

How do animals survive in the darkness? Discover how animals use sight, smell, hearing and touch to navigate, as we use OUR senses to explore the parks at night. Ages 8+. No flashlights needed.

Friday, September 3, 8:30 – 10 P.M. Char-Mar Ridge Park

Monarchs and More

Saturday, September 25 & Sunday, September 26, 12 – 5 PM at Deer Haven Park, All ages
Fly over to the Visitor Center for an afternoon of beautiful colors, shapes and forms that make up our local insect fauna, including Monarchs! Play games, make crafts, catch and see live bugs, explore the trails, and enjoy refreshments as we learn about their migration to Mexico. We tag and release live monarchs at 2 PM each day weather permitting! Natives in Harmony will be selling Ohio Native Plants during the event to help you can start your own pollinator friendly garden!

Acorn Adventure

Saturday, October 2, 10 – 11 A.M. Shale Hollow Park, Ages 8+ Join a Naturalist for a 1-mile hike and learn about the adventure every acorn goes on! From the mighty oak tree where they start their journey to the chemical defenses acorns use to protect themselves to the animals that eat them.

Gallant Farm Tractor Show

Saturday, October 16th, 10am-4pm at Gallant Farm. All ages Discover the machines that transformed farming forever. There will be various equipment demonstrations throughout the day and Cider making. If you have an antique tractor, bring it starting at 8 a.m. For information call 740-595-3020.

Scarecrow Building Contest

Friday, October 22, 5:30 P.M. at Gallant Woods Park, All Ages Register by October 15. Bring the whole family to build a scarecrow. We will provide the frame and stuffing; you bring the clothing other items to decorate your unique scarecrow. Judging will take place during the Trick or Treat Trail on Oct. 24.

Trick or Treat Trail

Sunday, October 24, 1 pm – 4 pm at Gallant Woods Park
Come in costume to gather treats from characters along the enchanted nature trail. Decorate pumpkins, enjoy a hayride, view insects with The Bug Man, get close to Ohio’s nocturnal birds of prey with Ohio Nature Education (ONE), vote for your favorite scarecrow, and visit Gallant Farm across the road. It’s all free!

Rock Talk

Tuesday, November 16, 5 – 6 P.M. Shale Hollow Park, All ages What can rocks tell us? Take a walk in the creek at Shale Hollow Park and discover what we can learn by looking at local rocks. Feet will get wet.

Winter Fun

New Year’s Day Hike at Char-Mar Ridge Park

January 1 at 10 am. All ages. Kick off the new year by joining us for our annual first hike of the year. We will walk the scenic 1.5-mile loop trail at Char- Mar and then finish up with some hot refreshments. The hike will be moderately strenuous with some hills.