The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Families celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with nature center photo opportunity
Children giggled with delight and gave out hugs March 13 to Lorain County Metro Parks mascot ChipE-Munk for St. Patrick’s Day during a photo event.
Held at the French Creek Nature Center, 4530 Colorado Ave. in Sheffield Village, the event allowed for brief celebrations that families could take home after snapping a few photos and picking up hot chocolate.
Erin Moran, cultural arts and nature programmer with the metro parks, said the event was held to supplement an annual St. Patrick’s Day event with the parks that’s usually much larger.
She said the most important part of the event is that it creates memories for children and their families on the holiday.
“It’s a fun way to say, ‘Oh, I remember St. Patrick’s Day during all of this, and here’s how we did it differently,’” Moran said.
Children grabbed props to hold for the photo and greeted Chip-E-Munk, then followed gold coins and leprechaun footprints down the hall for hot chocolate.
“We wanted to offer something that people can do quickly so they’re not lingering,” Moran said.
Moran also handed out a key sheet for a Facebook Live event that was held later in the day that featured Irish trivia questions.
Key sheets were also given out at other metro park locations, like the Carriage Barn at Vermilion River Reservation, Carlisle Visitor Center and Cascade Park, she said.
Highlighted letters on each trivia question created a word for participants to decode and send in for a prize, Moran said.
“The first person to email me that code word gets to win a visit from Chip-EMunk,” she said.
That visit can either be to the family’s home or to be gifted to someone else.
Second, third and fourth place winners were given leftover Yours to Explore boxes from the metro parks, which includes a host of activities for children to enjoy.
Starlene Hersh, 52, of Elyria said the event was particularly fun for her family, since they recently found out about their Irish heritage.
“This is really cool,” she said of the event. “I think it’s a wonderful thing they’re doing here.”