The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Penitentiary Glen hosts Candy Land Christmas
Lake Metroparks is getting ready for the holiday season.
Starting Nov. 17, Penitentiary Glen Nature Center in Kirtland will host “Candy Land has Gone Wild!,” an expansive and interactive event where children can play as living game pieces on a life-sized gameboard modeled after Candy Land.
The gameplay seeks to be educational and entertaining as children learn about the environment as they advance through the game.
“(Parents) walk in and we hand them the game box and they can spend time with their kids as we talk about the sweet gifts that nature gives us, like honey, fruits, and maple syrup,” said Lake Metroparks Assistant Chief of Interpretation Pat Morse.
Win, lose, or draw at Candy Land, there will be additional holiday entertainment for families, both indoors and out, according to the Metroparks.
Scavenger hunts, a giant indoor slide and a new “s’more-nament” station will be set up for hands-on arts and action to help kids shake off winter doldrums.
Parents will be able to take a trip down memory lane as the Penitentiary debuts their vintage Mr. Jingeling memorabilia.
A fixture of the Halle department store, Mr. Jingeling was Halle’s Christmas ambassador, second only to Saint Nick himself. It was the Halle family that donated the land that would eventually become the Penitentiary Glen park and its Nature Center.
This year’s “Candy Land Has Gone Wild!” is being sponsored by the Hathaway Brown School and constructed by volunteers from Lubrizol. While this will be the event’s fourth year, park coordinators, Dan Burnett and Wendy Pittenger, have produced holiday affairs and activities at the park for over 20 years.
The event, and entry to the park, is free for all ages. Candy Land games will be played within the Nature Center from noon to 5 p.m., Nov. 17 to Jan. 1. The exhibit will be closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Penitentiary Glen is at 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road in Kirtland.