Press Staff
Families can jump into the wonders of the literary world while enjoying exploring nature at the Genoa Branch Library’s StoryWalk, set up in Genoa Veterans Memorial Park.
StoryWalk is a fun and innovative way for children – and adults – to enjoy reading in an outdoor setting. Laminated pages from a children’s book are inserted into a covered display marker along the North Coast Inland Trail to the new playground by the baseball fields.
The walk features 15 stops. The August book is “Ricky, the Rock That Couldn’t Roll,” by Mr. Jay. The September book will be “As an Oak Tree Grows,” by G. Brian Karas.
The StoryWalk was funded partially by a grant through the Ottawa County Park District and by the Georgiana Huizenga Memorial Fund. Huizenga, the director of the Harris-Elmore Public & Genoa Branch Libraries from 1990-2011, dreamed for both communities to one day have a StoryWalk for children to learn during play.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Ottawa County Park District to bring our collection into the heart of the community in a new way. Even if you’ve never stepped foot in a library, you can still enjoy part of our collection in the great outdoors,” said Genoa Branch Manager Meghan Parker.
Community members, businesses and organizations have the option to sponsor a story for $75, which provides three copies of the chosen book – two for the StoryWalk and one for the collection for borrowing. Sponsors will have a dedication placed on the first display along with the book cover.
StoryWalk was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and has developed with the help of Rachel Senechal, Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
For more information, visit harriselmorelibrary.org/story-walk.
Museum offering free admission
National Museum of the Great Lakes, 1701 Front St., Toledo, will offer free admission to the museum and museum vessels for all active and retired union members Saturday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 1.
Union identification or proof of membership will be required. Standard admission will apply to accompanying nonmembers.
Visit nmgl.org for more details.
Vintage baseball
The community is invited to a Vintage Baseball Game featuring the Great Black Swamp Frogs vs. the Wahoo Baseball Club Saturday, Sept. 13, at 2 p.m. on the lawn of Majestic Care Toledo, 131 N. Wheeling St.
Those attending are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on. Visit MajesticCare.com for more details.
Toledo Zoo offering Senior Discovery Days
Once again, the Toledo Zoo is offering Senior Discovery Days on Wednesdays in September and October.
Area seniors can take advantage of free admission and activities every Wednesday, and on Mondays-Fridays, Zoo visitors 60 and better can enjoy:
Free parking in the Anthony Wayne Trail and Broadway parking lots for vehicles that take up one parking space.
Free small coffee and mini-donuts at the Timberline Bakery 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
A 15% discount on merchandise in Zoo gift shops.
A 20% discount on memberships, when purchased at the Membership Sales window.
$1 off either individual or family baskets at the Giraffe Feed deck.
The Senior Discovery Day Wednesday Animal Demo schedule includes:
10:15 a.m.: Cheetah enrichment, Africa!
11 a.m.: Dingo enrichment and keeper talk, Tiger Terrace.
11:30 a.m.: Watch Divers at work, Aquarium.
Noon: Meet an animal, ProMedica Museum of Natural History.
1:30 p.m.: Otter feed, elephant enrichment, Tembo Trail.
2 p.m.: Primate enrichment, Primate Forest.
2:30 p.m.: Sea lion training demo, Arctic Encounter.
3 p.m.: Flamingo keeper talk, Flamingo Key.
3:30 p.m.: Garden Highlights, Ziems Conservatory.
Wheelchairs & motorized scooters available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis.
Caregivers who are directly responsible for assisting seniors during Senior Discovery Days are eligible for free Zoo admission. (This applies only to professional caregivers; regular admission rates will apply for volunteers and relatives of visiting seniors.)
For more information, visit toledozoo.org/events/senior-discovery-days.
Hayes Tree Symposium
Learn about the challenges facing urban forests, how to make maple syrup and more during the second annual Tree Symposium on Friday, Sept. 5, at Spiegel Grove, an arboretum and presidential site.
The event is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with check-in beginning at 8 a.m. in the auditorium of the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, located at Spiegel Grove in Fremont.
The registration fees are $40 per person for non-members, $35 per person for Hayes Presidential members and $22 for students. Lunch is included.
To register, visit https://www.rbhayes.org/news/2025/05/01/general/learn-about-urban-forests-making-maple-syrup-more-at-tree-symposium/.
TMA presenting 10th Block Party
The Toledo Museum of Art will mark the 10th anniversary of its beloved Block Party on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 3-8 p.m., rain or shine.
This free celebration of creativity and community will fill Monroe Street with music, dance, artmaking, food and family activities, capped by the event’s first-ever drone light show.
Most Block Party activities will take place outside the Edward B. Green Building and SANAAGlass Pavilion on Monroe Street, which will be closed to traffic between Parkwood and Scottwood avenues.
Featured entertainment will include Toledo native DJ Jalen Tol, DJ Tony Rios, student drumline My5tery Music, and dance company Naach by Aha. WTVG-13 ABC’s Kristian Brown will serve as the event’s host, and NBC’s “The Voice” finalist Jan Dan, along with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, will headline the event.
The museum and its galleries will also be open during the Block Party, giving visitors the chance to explore exhibitions indoors as well as enjoy the festivities.
Admission and parking are free for the Block Party and the museum. (Tickets to “Infinite Images” exhibit are $10 and free for TMA members.)
Food trucks will be located on Monroe Street. Outside lawn chairs are allowed.
For a complete Block Party schedule, visit at toledomuseum.org.
OCT announces season lineup
Oregon Community Theatre has announced the lineup for its upcoming season, which includes productions featuring music, laughter and engaging stories.
The season opens with the family favorite, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” running Oct. 17–18 Oct. 24-26.
This winter, audiences can enjoy two versions of Neil Simon’s classic comedy with OCT’s productions of “The Odd Couple—featuring both male and female casts—on Feb. 13-15 and Feb. 20–22.
Spring brings the uproarious smash hit, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” running April 24–25 and May 1–3.
Closing out the year will be the cherished Children’s Summer Theatre, which will present “Mary Poppins Jr.”—a magical tradition that highlights the talent and creativity of young performers in our community.
All performances will take place at Fassett Auditorium, 3025 Starr Ave., Oregon.
For tickets, show updates and more information, follow Oregon Community Theatre on Facebook and Instagram (@octshows) or visit octshows.org.
Gathering Volumes Parking Lot Party and Author Fair set
Lawrence St. John, of Northwood, will be among authors who will be featured at Gathering Volumes’ Annual Parking Lot Party & Author Fair, happening Sunday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free. The bookstore is located at 196 E. South Boundary St., Perrysburg.
The book store’s celebration of books and community will feature more than 20 local authors, food, beverage trucks and activities for all ages.
From children’s picture books to horror, science fiction/fantasy to regional nonfiction, there will be something for every reader to discover. Attendees can meet and connect with authors, browse unique titles, and take home signed books from some of Northwest Ohio’s most creative voices.
Food sales from the event will support the 5th Annual Northwest Ohio Teen Book Festival, helping to inspire the next generation of readers and writers. Beverage trucks will also be onsite.
St. John, who lives in Northwood, is the author of the “Metatron: A Superhero Fiction Adventure Series.” He has also released the comic, “Metatron: Terror At The Track.”
“This event is our way of celebrating local authors, connecting readers directly with writers, and ensuring that literature remains accessible and vibrant in our community,” said Denise Phillips, Gathering Volumes owner.
This year’s event is co-sponsored by Of Rust and Glass, a Midwest publisher based in Maumee.
Stuffed Animal Sleepover
What will your stuffed friend get up to when they have a sleepover at the Walbridge Library? Families can drop off their stuffed animals for WCDPL’s Stuffed Animal Sleepover on Friday, Sept. 12.
Librarians will take stuffed friends and introduce them to the library, where they’ll spend the night. Then, on Sept. 13, families can pick up their friends to learn all the things they explored at the library overnight.
No registration is required. For more information, call 419-666-9900.
‘This Old House’ host to speak
Join the Wood County District Public Library in a WCDPL Foundation Series event with “This Old House” host Kevin O’Connor.
The event will take place Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the BGCS Performing Arts Center, 540 W. Poe Rd., Bowling Green.
With a love for historic home preservation and a strong advocacy for skilled trades, O’Connor’s story and experiences will engage, entertain and encourage attendees to rebuild from the ground up.
Tickets are free; registration is required. To register, visit wcdpl.org/the-foundation-series, call 419-352-5050 or email woodref@wcdpl.org.
Apple Festival Car Show signup
Registration is under way for the Oak Harbor Apple Festival’s Car & Bike Show, set for Sunday, Oct. 12, from 12-4 p.m. in the parking lot at Oak Harbor High School, 11661 W. SR 163.
Car, trucks and motorcycles are welcome. The registration fee is $10. The first 250 registrants will receive dash plaques. The show will also feature DJ music, door prizes, 50/50 raffles and food trucks.
Admission to the show is free to the public. Shuttles to the Apple Festival, which will be held Oct. 11 and 12, will be available for $1.
Preregister for the car show at OakHarborAppleFestival.com. Registration will also be available the day of the show from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
On stage…
Actors Collaborative Toledo (ACT) invites audiences into a world of myth, memory and mystery with a staged reading of Joseph Chaikin and Sam Shepard’s “When the World Was Green (A Chef’s Fable).”
Performances will be held Friday, Sept. 12, and Saturday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 14, at 3 p.m. in the Chapel at Trinity Episcopal Church, 316 Adams St. in downtown Toledo.
Tickets are $10 and may be reserved at www.act419.org.
The Village Players will open their 68th season with “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals,” Sept. 5-7 and Sept. 11-14 p.m. The theater is located at 2740 Upton Ave., Toledo.
Curtain times for the musical comedy, which contains adult languages and themes, are 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and are available online at thevillageplayers.org.