Parks and Recreation Events

Experience the Fort Hunter Mansion by candlelight this December and see the halls decked for the holidays and hear what traditions were celebrated in years past.

Jump start your holiday season with a workshop at Wildwood Park. Craft your very own wooden reindeer with Friends of Wildwood President and Craftsman, Jim Caufield. 

Enjoy a free concert of Christmas music. Join the Mechanicsburg area brass group as they play familiar holiday tunes and Christmas songs in an informal concert setting.

Celebrate the Winter Solstice with a walk in the woods. Enjoy the sunset over the fields at Detweiler Park on the shortest day of the year. Please bring a headlamp or flashlight. This program is part of the Park Rx wellness program sponsored by Highmark Blue Shield. Space is limited. Pre-registration required.

Join a Park Naturalist for a hike at Detweiler Park with a focus on trees and edible winter foods. Become familiar with a variety of common species and a few recipes you could try at home. Dress for the weather. This program is part of the Park Rx series of programs sponsored by Highmark Blue Shield. Space is limited. Pre-registration required.

Stop by the Nature Center Bird Viewing Area for a warm cup of bird- friendly coffee, tea or hot cocoa with Appalachian Audubon Society. Discover what birds visit our feeders most often and learn how to identify each one. On the second Saturday from November - April, join us in observing and counting common feeder birds as part of Project FeederWatch.

Join the Friends of Wildwood for the first lecture of this year’s Winter Sustainability Series. Students from the West Shore School District Aquaponics Program will teach you some of what you need to know about hydroponics and aquaponics, but more importantly how high-tech suburban farming can inspire creativity and foster independence.

Did you know every snowflake is different? Join a Naturalist to learn all about what makes each snowflake unique, and how they are formed. Make your own snowflakes and discover the size of the largest snowflake ever found!

Join this introductory photography workshop and unlock the secrets of digital photography! This hands-on course delves into the essentials of Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO, empowering participants with a solid foundation. Explore Exposure Compensation, Auto-Focus, Metering, and more, while mastering important terminology and troubleshooting techniques. This workshop is perfect for beginners and seasoned photographers alike and will cultivate the skills needed to capture images with your unique artistic flair. By the end, you’ll confidently use manual settings to photograph wildlife and diverse subjects, applicable across various camera types – DSLR, mirrorless, bridge, superzoom, and even your smartphone.

Jump into this exciting photography workshop and discover how to take amazing pictures with any camera—even your smartphone! In this hands-on class, you'll learn the basics like how to make your photos brighter or darker, how to freeze action and how to focus on what matters most. Whether you're new to photography or already snapping away, this workshop will help you create awesome pictures showing your unique style. By the end, you’ll know how to use manual settings to capture wildlife and all kinds of other cool stuff—skills you can use on your DSLR, mirrorless, or even your phone's camera.