CRAWFORD COUNTY, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Crawford Park District has released its schedule of public events for October, offering local residents and visitors a variety of outdoor educational programs, seasonal family activities, and volunteer opportunities across county parks.

Events kick off Thursday, Oct. 15, with a Fall Fungus Foray at 5:30 p.m. at Heckert Nature Preserve, located at 1601 State Route 19. Participants will embark on a guided walk to discover mushrooms, shelf fungi, puffballs, and other woodland decomposers while learning about their role in the ecosystem and basic identification techniques.

Families are invited to Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598, on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for Halloween Family Fun Night. Attendees can dress in costume to enjoy a bonfire, face painting, crafts, wagon rides, and treat bags for children. The evening includes guided night hikes through the woods, a self-guided clue hike, and stargazing hosted by Crawford Park Astronomy Club members, weather permitting.

For young children aged 0–5, the Little Explorers: Seeds program will take place Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park. The hands-on sensory and fine motor skill session will explore various seed shapes, sizes, and seed pod dispersal methods along the trail.

Community volunteers are needed on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the Unger Barn Clean-up Day at Unger Park, 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Rd. Volunteers will help clean out stalls and preserve vintage farm equipment. Tools, gloves, and water will be provided; dust masks are recommended for participants, who should be at least 12 years old.

Later on Oct. 24, two additional events will be hosted at Lowe-Volk Park:

  • Fall Foliage Hike (2 p.m.): Naturalist Donald will lead a short walk exploring the changing autumn leaf colors across the park.
  • Viewing the Night Sky (7:15 p.m.): The Crawford Park Astronomy Club will host a night sky viewing event featuring Saturn, the Andromeda Galaxy, and celestial targets in the Big Dipper. Attendees are welcome to bring personal telescopes for assistance. In the event of unfavorable weather, the program will move inside the Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center.

All events are open to the public. More information about Crawford Park District programs is available online at crawfordpd.org or by following the Crawford Park District on Facebook.