October is always full of fun! Let’s kickoff the month right THIS SATURDAY, October 1, 2022. Here are 8 Ways for you to Kickoff October With Us!
1. Martens Grand Opening
Join us on Saturday, October 1, 12pm-3pm for the ribbon cutting (12pm) and grand opening of the much-anticipated Martens Center and renovated Human Kinetics Park (1515 N. Market Street, Champaign)! This free event will feature tours of the new, innovative facility, giveaways, and fun games and activities.
Martens Center features include: innovation center, indoor playground, gymnasium, wellness center, and more!
This event will feature:
- Inflatables
- Kona Ice
- Carle Mobile Health Clinic
- Face Painting & Caricatures
- Free Champaign Park District Swag
2. CU Pride Parade
Make sure to look out for the Champaign Park District Trolley in the CU Pride Parade! The parade will step off on Saturday, October 1st at 11:00 AM in Campustown and march into downtown Urbana.
Visit Uniting Pride’s website for more information on Pride Fest.
3. The Great Pumpkin Hunt Starts
Date: October 1-31
Location: Champaign & Urbana Parks
Are you ready to find pumpkins all over Champaign- Urbana? We’ve teamed up again with Urbana Park District to hide pumpkins in the parks throughout October…But this year will be a bit different!
This year, we are hiding HUNDREDS of laminated pumpkins with QR codes for you to find throughout Champaign & Urbana Park districts. Once you find a pumpkin, scan the QR code to submit your entry into a drawing to win a prize bag filled with CPD and UPD goodies on November 1, 2022. You get to keep the pumpkins you find too!
Be sure when you snap a picture for your submission to share your discoveries with us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts by tagging #CUpumpkinhunt.
4. Learn About Our Park Trees
Take a stroll through Hessel Park and learn about the trees and animals in the park with our Hessel Park Tree Walk & Companion Guides!
Click through the images below to learn more about our local trees.
5. Finish Up #ParksRock Scavenger Hunt
We want to help you find the remaining rocks in our #ParksRock Scavenger Hunts! We have extended the end date to Monday, October 3 and we’ve added clues to our website.
6. Art in the Park Story Map
Champaign Parks feature beautiful monuments & sculptures. Learn more about them with our Art in the Park Story Map.
7. Art Exhibition: People and Plants by Pat Monigold
Stroll through the halls of Springer Cultural Center to view the current art exhibit, People And Plants, featuring the beautiful paintings by Pat Monigold. Exhibit information below.
Date: September 24 – October 29, 2022
Location: Springer Cultural Center
Exhibit Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 8a-8p
- Friday: 8a-6p
- Saturday: 9:30a-2p
8. Bucket List Challenge
With cold weather coming our way, October is a great time to finish up your playground Bucket List Challenge. Visit our Find a Park page for more the online Bucket List Challenge brochure.
