Spending Time with Dad
As Father's Day weekend approaches, you may be looking for ways to spend time with dear ol' dad.
From fishing to biking to star gazing, the Butler County area is rife with activities you can do together.
Besides the Bantam Heritage Jeep Festival which takes place over Father's Day weekend, try some of these events for a Happy Father's Day.
Carnival classicYou can still attend the favorite Saxonburg Fireman's Carnival on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.The Fireman's Parade is Thursday night, and the carnival rides and raffles last through Saturday, with hours from 6 to 11 p.m. each night and a matinee from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday.Ride-all-matinee tickets are $15. Ride-all-evening tickets are also $15. The gate fee is $2, except during the matinees when the gate fee is waived. Individual ride tickets are $1 each, and rides usually require two or three of these tickets.
Baseball anyone?For a more traditional take on a Father's Day activity, perhaps a baseball game is in order, featuring Prospect League teams, the Butler BlueSox or Slippery Rock Sliders.The BlueSox play the Lorain County Ironmen at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Pullman Park, and it's fireworks night.The BlueSox play the Sliders at 7:05 p.m. Saturday and at 6:05 p.m. Sunday, both at Jack Critchfield Park on the campus of Slippery Rock University.
Tavern Day on tapMaybe a Tavern Day at Old Stone House is more suited to your father.The event will include cooking demonstrations and food samples from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at the 19th-century stagecoach inn at the intersection of Routes 8, 173 and 528.Donations of $3 per person or $5 per family are suggested.
Grist mill visitsThere are tours of the historic grist mill at McConnells Mill State Park in Slippery Rock Township just over the county line into Lawrence County off Route 422, open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Interpretive tours, which last about 45 minutes, begin at 1 and 3 p.m.A Hell's Hollow by Night hike in search of bats, owls and foxes is planned for 8:30 to 10 p.m. Friday. “A Taste of History: Dutch oven Cooking” will be from noon to 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the courtyard of the grit mill.Admission is free.
Art activitiesIf you and your dad enjoy art, you could build a sculpture and enter it in the first AABC/CTCC Outdoor Sculpture Competition.Besides spending time together, you could split the $5,000 guaranteed purchase award for the contest's winner.Deadline for entries is Sunday.Entries will be displayed during Cranberry Community Days in July.Call 724-283-6922 or visit www.aabcArtCenter.com.Speaking of art, the opening of the “The Watercolors of Dougal Brown” on Saturday at the Saxonburg Area Artists Cooperative looks to be a big event.The reception will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the gallery at 215 Main St. rear in Saxonburg.The artist, whose favorite subjects are local landmarks, will attend.Guitarist Dale Cinski will perform, and a chocolate tasting is planned. Admission is free.
MusicIn the days leading up to Father's Day, Butler County will be the site of much music.The Musicians' Concert Band will present a “Broadway Spectacular” concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Butler Intermediate High School. Admission is $5. Visit www.musiciansconcertband.com.The Thursdays in the Park Concert Series in the Rotary Amphitheater at Community Park in Cranberry Township presents music from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s by the band Street Level at 7 p.m. Thursday.Admission is free, as is parking. Take a blanket or lawn chair for seating.On Friday night, music will begin at 6 p.m. outdoors in the West New Castle Street Plaza in downtown Butler, while the Jeep Invasion is going on, too.
Racing in formFor racing fans, Lernerville Speedway in Sarver will be featuring Fab Four racing and fireworks for fan appreciation night at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are required.
Car cruise, JeepsOK, the Cruise-A-Palooza isn't until June 23, but Main Street in Butler will be invaded by Jeeps from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday as part of the third annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival. Admission is free.Jeep activities continue Saturday and Sunday at Cooper's Lake Campground in Worth Township. Participants must be registered for Jeep events, and an admission fee is charged.Then there is a Father's Day Car Cruise from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Hartwood Acres in Allison Park, Allegheny County, followed by an oldies concert by The Vogues at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Garden tourIf your dad likes to garden, maybe surprise him with tickets to the Butler County Symphony Association's second annual Garden Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Saturday.The self-guided tour of six Butler County gardens is a fundraiser for the symphony.A free reception will be held on the day of the tour at the Meridian Gift Shop. Lunch items will be available for a fee.Tickets for the tour are $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the tour. They are available at the symphony office, 259 S. Main St. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Meridian Gift Shop, 298 Meridian Road, and Smith's Flower Shop, 136 N. Main St.Call the symphony office at 724-283-1402.
Star gazingIf star gazing is more up your alley, then the Star Parties at the Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory might suit your fancy.The Star Parties will start, weather permitting, at 8:55 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the observatory in Deer Lakes Regional Park, near the village of Russellton, Frazer Township, Allegheny County.Admission is free, though donations are accepted. Call 724-224-2510 or visit www.3ap.org.
Biking, fishingMoraine State Park in Muddy Creek Township and the Butler-Freeport Community Trail have trails that can be biked as well as walked.Bicycle rental at Moraine is available on the North Shore.Of course, you could always fish at Lake Arthur at the park. Fishing licenses are sold in many stores and at the county treasurer's office in the county government center, 124 W. Diamond St.
Floating on the lakeThe Moraine Preservation Fund hosts cruises of Lake Arthur on its 37-passenger pontoon boat Nautical Nature at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Cost for adults is $11 online or $12 at the gate; fees are somewhat less for senior citizens and children. Call 724-368-9185.
