York Halloween Parade~YWCA Wants You!

The 61st Annual York Halloween Parade is looking for participants and volunteers. Please visit the YWCA's website for more information at http://www.ywcayork.org/ or visit them at 320 E. Market St., you can pick up an application at the Y or download one on their website. We can't wait!

Lake Tobias

If you have never been to Lake Tobias Wildlife Park then now is the perfect time to make plans to take a little trip. My mother took my me, my 3 year old daughter, my sister and my 20 month old nephew yesterday and we had an AWESOME time, another one of those "Why haven't I done this before" moments.

Lake Tobias is located in Halifax, about an hour and ten minute drive from York, North of Harrisburg. We arrived at 10am right when they opened the gates for parking. When you pull in, before parking, you will be charged admission which is $4 for everyone ages 3 and up which includes all zoo exibits and petting zoo areas. Bring cash, they might take credit cards, but there was one lady taking money and the process is slow enough already. Once we parked we headed straight down to get passes for the safari, the safari is $5 for everyone 3 and up, and it was totally worth it.

The safari is about 40-45 minutes long and you get up close and personal with over 300 animals including a variety of deer, emu, elk, buffalo, water buffalo, longhorns, and zebra. They even had two zedonks, that would be a mix of donkey and zebra, which were not only unique but hilarious to say! You can buy crackers to feed the animals along the way and the kids really get into it, my girly-girl daughter squealed with delight as a deer nibbled out of her hand.

After the safari we walked around the zoo area and saw monkeys, bears, lions, baboons, prairie dogs and lemurs. There were staff members walking around answering questions and one staff member was holding a baby hedgehog that the kids were allowed to pet. There was also a petting zoo where a goat tried to eat my pants (wear jeans), and a reptile house that was an additional dollar, but we decided it most likely wouldn't fly with our kids so we skipped it.

There was also a concession stand next to the safari bus station, soda and water vending machines around the zoo area and a large covered picnic area available, so you can pack your own lunch and save a little money. Next to the picnic area is a large playground, so the kids can take a little break after lunch and play before heading back to see the animals or taking a nice nap on the way back to York!

In total, for $9 a person, it was a GREAT find! Enjoy, we sure did! http://www.laketobias.com/homepage/

Fall Clubs and Sports

It's sign-up season in York, so I thought I would pass along some sports and clubs sign-ups that might interest you and/or your children!

1. York Youth Soccer League- For kids aged 4 and up. http://yysl.org/
2. The York County SPCA Youth Group, for teens 13-17. The group meets from 10:30a-12:30pm the first Saturday of each month at the SPCA building in Manchester Township. Call 764-6109 or more information.
3. The York Youth and Young at Heart Chess Club meets from 1pm-5:30pm Saturdays at CityView Community Church in Manchester Township. The group was created to help school aged children learn to play chess and prepare them for tournament play. If you are interested call Christopher Blaise Sr. at 424-9528
4. The York Art Association is preparing for it's fall classes and youth and adult classes are available. If you are interested you can call their offices at 755-0028 or visit them online at http://www.yorkartassociation.org
5. Auditions are coming up for DreamWrights Theater's version of Animal Farm, this one is for the bigger kids aged 13-19. Visit their website for more information: http://www.dreamwrights.org/
6. 4H York County is gearing up for another great fall season, if you have a child aged 5-18 that might be interested in learning the science and technology that goes into farming and preserving the environment around them then check them out here: http://www.4hyorkpa.org/
7. For something different, The Colonial York Junior Stamp Club (yes, stamp collecting), meets the 3rd Saturday starting in September though May at 10am at the Agricultural and Industrial Museum on Princess St. in York. For more information contact Paul Daugherty at paul@embarqmailcom or John Wallace at johnwallace@aol.com
8. If you live in York City, the city has wonderful youth programs listed on their website, including sports, Boys and Girls clubs, and activities. Check them out here: http://www.yorkcity.org/section.php?name=youthprograms
9. KidShape is a family based weight management program developed to address the epidemic of childhood obesity and help kids that are struggling with weight issues. The 9 week program is geared towards families with a 6-14 year old child, who is overweight, to help teach better nutrition, help with self-esteem and get them moving with increased activity. If you are interested in this program contact Memorial Hospital or your health care provider, I have read a lot of positive feedback on the program from parents who attended this program in Harrisburg!
10. Finally check out your townships website for fall sports that should be starting soon. Also the YMCA, YWCA and Jewish Community Center have their fall lineups available as well. The JCC also posted two specific classes for the fall in the newspaper.

• Kids Gym Jam, which is held from 6:15pm-7pm Tuesday's for kids 1-4 years old (great sibling class). It features age appropriate gym equipment and props of all kids to develop large muscle skills.
• Musical Me, which is held from 5:30pm-6:15pm Thursday's for children 1-4 years old. This class is intended to introduce your child to elements of music, rhythms and sounds.

Dallastown Carnival

Starting today, Tuesday August 17th, the annual Dallastown Carnival is in full swing! The carnival runs from tonight, 6-10pm, through this Saturday. There is FREE live entertainment every night, parking is free and admission is free! There are wristbands available for kids to ride all night long for $16. Tonight and Thursday night are "coupon" night, follow the link below for the $2 off coupon for wristbands!

http://dallastownboro.com/RecreationUpcomingEvents.htm

Enjoy the carnival!!

Back to School Dates!

I know you all are aware of your own child's back to school date but I thought I would post all of the districts in York County just in case! (I like to know when all of my teacher friends and family disappear!)

York County

August 24

South Eastern

August 25

Central York

Dover

Hanover

Northeastern

Spring Grove

August 30

Dallastown

Northern York

West York

August 31

Eastern York

Red Lion

South Western

Southern York

York City

September 1

York Suburban

Flinchbaugh's Orchard "Summer Fest"

Sorry this is so last minute, we were in North Carolina this week and I missed it, but today and tomorrow from 10am-4pm Flinchbaugh's Orchard is celebrating Summer Fest. It looks like a lot of fun for the kids, a four-acre corn maze, fresh peach sundaes (yummy!) and rides through the orchards and around the farm on big hay trucks. There are also tractor rides, face painting and a straw maze that might run you a dollar or two, but the money they raise is headed right to the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey so spend away.

Make sure you pay Flichbaugh's a visit this weekend, they are a great local farm that is on their 4th generation of family farmers. The market will be open so you can check out their produce as well as cakes, breads, cookies......you know, the good stuff!

Flinchbaugh's Orchard and Farm Market is located at 110 Ducktown Road in Hellam, visit their website to find out more about the festival:

http://www.flinchbaughsorchard.com/

Tomatofest!

If you have never been to Horn Farm in York (right outside of Hellam) this might be a great family outing to introduce yourself to a little slice of farming heaven. August 7th from 11am-5pm they are hosting an Heirloom Tomato festival, with a lot of tasting (yum) and games for the kids and garden tours for the whole family. The event is free, parking is free, and learning how to cultivate your soil and grow some awesome tomatoes next year saves you money!

The Horn Farm Center is the home base for agricultural history and education in York County and has been continuously farmed for over 250 years. It's a fun way to teach your kids about the wonders of gardening and the rewards of fresh fruits and veggies. Enjoy!

http://hornfarmcenter.org/