Day of fun brings out a big crowd to the park

Oxford Rec group offers special day for kids

Even on a hot day, children can enjoy active fun outdoors. Families proved that at the Oxford Area Recreation Authority’s first Kids to Park Day, Saturday, July 22 at the Oxford Area Regional Park.

The completely free event included pony rides, face painting, kick ball, and flying kites and drones. Over 100 people turned out for the day of fun, which also included a free picnic lunch of hot dogs, snacks, and popsicles.

Another feature for the children was the free craft area, organized by the Oxford Arts Alliance. This is the first the two organizations have worked together on an event, and it turned out to be a very successful one.

“We do First Friday crafts, which is also a community free craft that we do, so it’s fun when we can combine with another local organization of business and get our name out and do something for the community,” said Oxford Arts Alliance art instructor Leah Maholmes. She was helping the children create a beach in a jar with sand and sea shells. “It’s exciting to see that they are passionate about the craft.”

The Park has been in existence for years, but even at Kids to Park day, many visitors told the authority that they had never been to the facility before, and some did not know it existed. Several families actually went to the Oxford Memorial Park first by mistake before finding the park at 900 Locust St., in East Nottingham Township.

Earlier this year, the Recreation Authority held their first Pitch, Hit and Run event at the park, and a Haunted Hayride and fall festival is planned for October. The Kids to Park day was made possible by local contributions of food, snacks, and supplies, plus a cash grant for $485 from Constellation, an Exelon company.

Kids to Park Day is a national day of outdoor play organized by the National Park Trust, held nation wide in May. The Recreation Authority did not have time to prepare for their edition of the event on the national day, but carried the spirit forward. For next year, the authority hops to hold the event in coordination with the national effort, in cooler spring weather.

The Oxford Area Recreation Authority is a multi-municipal authority composed of representatives from Elk, East Nottingham, West Nottingham and Lower Oxford Townships as well as Oxford Borough.

For more information visit www.OxfordRecreation.org or find them on Facebook under Oxford Recreation Authority.

MARCELLA PRYRE-FERRY – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA A visitors at Kids to Park Day tries out some face painting at the event last Saturday.