Valpo Parks

12/25/2022

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from Valpo Parks! 🎅❄🎄

Just a friendly reminder the the Valpo Parks office will be closed tomorrow - Monday, December 26th and will reopen Tuesday, December 27th.

12/25/2022

It's Christmas Eve, and that means it's time to say goodbye to Pam and Lewis 🥲 We loved having them at Valpo Parks, but now it's time to go help Santa prep for the big day! Good luck everyone 👋

Thank you once again to sponsors 1st Source Bank and The Allure on The Lake for making this beautiful Christmas Tree possible! 🎄

We hope you have a merry Christmas!

12/23/2022

It's game time, and we're not just talking about Christmas coming up this weekend. Fridays at Banta get pretty competitive—Bingo is no joke! Checkout the gameplay footage to see if our favorite elves got a bingo 👀🏆

12/23/2022

Ethos Insurance & Risk Management is ON BOARD for the Valparaiso Skatepark. Thank you for the support and for "insuring" that the next generation of skaters has an amazing park!

12/22/2022

Nothing like a round of golf to warm you up... while staying inside, of course! Pam tried her hand at the Indoor Simulator at Creekside Golf Course today, and after a few practice swings she nailed it 🏌️

If you have a golfer in your life, swing by Creekside on Christmas Eve from 9 am - 3 pm for some gift certificates, easy stocking stuffers, or a season membership!

12/22/2022

It’s ❄️ S N O W ❄️ time!

Grab your sled, toboggan, or snowboard - Rogers Lakewood Park & Forest Park sledding hills are open! Both locations are free of charge and open from dawn to dusk.

Please note hills are unsupervised and are sled at your own risk. 🛷

12/22/2022

With the forecast of the weather the next few days, the following locations will have modified schedules. ❄️

Central Park Plaza
• Thursday: 10 am - 2 pm (𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨)
• Friday & Saturday: Closed due to weather
• Sunday: Closed for holiday (𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦)
• Monday: Reopen at 10 am

Creekside Golf Course
• Thursday: 9 am - 2 (𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨)
• Friday: Closed due to weather
• Saturday: 9 am - 3 pm
• Sunday: Closed for holiday
• Monday: Reopen at 9 am

Banta Senior Center
• Thursday: 9 am - 1 pm (𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨)
• Friday - Monday: Closed for holiday

Valpo Parks Office
• Thursday: 8 am - 1 pm (𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 11 𝘢𝘮)
• Friday: Closed for holiday
• Monday: Closed for holiday

Please keep an eye on this page for further updates on closings. Additionally, our staff will be around our parks and facilities to ensure your safety and maintain our parks. Stay warm everyone!

12/22/2022

Pam and Lewis visited Twisted Sugar Valparaiso for a sneak peek of the goodies you could get next Wednesday at the Dine and Donate event! 🍪🥤Proceeds will go towards our Youth Enrichment programs, which is one of the best presents our elves could ask for 🎁 See you all in a week at Twisted Sugar!

12/21/2022

Our first craft class of 2023 is coming up, and it's a relaxing soap-making class to wind down from the holiday season and get into the new year! Join us at Banta Center on Saturday, January 14 for an hour of crafting with friends or family 😌🧼

Register today! bit.ly/SoapMakingCraft

12/21/2022

Pam bundled up and worked up a sweat at the Life Trail at Fairgrounds Park today 💪 These stations along the south end of the park path guide you through varying levels of stretches for people of all shapes and sizes, including wheelchair users. You can learn a lot about how your body moves and try something new in just a few minutes! 🤸

If you want to check out the Life Trail during the winter, make sure to enter Fairgrounds Park through the McCord Road entrance or take the pathway in! The Evans Street gate is closed until the weather warms up again 🥶

12/20/2022

It's super fun to ride the trails at Creekside Trails once some snow has fallen! Pam and Lewis strapped on their magical shape-shifting helmets and hit the trails today ❄️🚴 Don't forget to follow the Trails page to stay updated on trail conditions and fun race events!

12/19/2022

Have you felt the magic in the air in Valparaiso? It's clear to see in these nighttime drone shots of the lights around town ✨ It's the perfect setting for a full day of shopping or a quick photo op with the Christmas Tree!

12/18/2022

Disc golf, anyone? Rogers Lakewood Park has a spectacular course that you can still play when it's cold and snowy outside, which is exactly what Pam and Lewis did today! 🥏

12/17/2022

Have you checked out the Central Park Plaza Ice Rink's new coffee machine yet? ☕ Word's out that it's the WORLD'S BEST Cup of Coffee and Pam came by to check it out!

12/17/2022

Today Pam and Lewis enjoyed some delicious ice cream at Valpo Velvet Ice Cream, who just so happen to be ON BOARD with our Skatepark too! We're so excited to have multiple generations of a fun-loving family supporting us 💝

12/16/2022

Pam joined the customer service team today! 📞 Although she wasn't of much help in actually answering questions, she did leave everyone who called bursting at the seams with joy and cheer 😁😁

12/15/2022

Lewis is proud to be an official employee with the City of Valparaiso! Wondering how he can continue succeeding in the Holiday Cheer Department. Perhaps singing loud for all to hear? 🎶

12/14/2022

Thanks SPENGA for the BIG donation to Toys for Tots. We appreciate your help in fulfilling holiday wishes of children within our community! 🎁🧸⚽️

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to bring unwrapped toys or cash donations to the Valpo Parks Admin Office, 3210 N Campbell St, from 8am to 5pm.

12/14/2022

Pam loves the playground at ValPlayso because of all the neat playground equipment! There are just so many to choose from when spreading Christmas cheer 😁✨

12/13/2022

Last weekend, we closed out our Challenger League with an Ice Rink party! ⛸️ This was some of the kids' first time on the ice and we're so glad they had fun. A big thank you to our sponsors, and to all our Buddies and families that made this season such a great one! ⚾💪

12/12/2022

Today Lewis and Pam took to the rink to make sure the ice is good to go for Open Skate and Open Hockey tonight at Central Park Plaza! Don't forget that Be Our Guest Passes and Admission Booklets make great stocking stuffers 🎁⛸️

12/12/2022

Photos from Valpo Parks's post

12/11/2022

That's a BIIIIIIIIG tree 🎄 Pam is pretty impressed with our holiday decorations. It's the perfect setting for weekend holiday shopping in downtown Valparaiso! Got any shop recommendations for Pam?

12/10/2022

Pam and Lewis are excited to see you all and Santa at Santa & Sirens Toy Drive between 4 and 6pm tonight! …well, mostly they’re excited to see Santa. 🎅and all the toys donated today to Toys for Tots! Drive through at Foundation Meadows (3210 N Campbell St) with your toy or cash donation. See you soon!

12/10/2022

Santa's coming? We know him! We know him!!

Come see Santa and Pam the Elf tomorrow, Saturday, December 10 from 4pm - 6pm at Santa & Sirens Toy Drive 🎅🧸 Bring your toy or cash donations, and we'll have Christmas lights, delicious cookies, and holiday fun!

12/09/2022

Lewis is keeping it cool at Central Park Plaza today—pick up a Winter Brochure to get all the info you need for holiday hours, Open Skate and Hockey, and more!

Lewis is warm and toasty in the Indiana Beverage Activity Center reading up on the winter activities at Central Park Plaza. He wanted to let you know that Open Skate takes place today from 2-10 p.m. and that next week is your last chance for Open Hockey until after the new year. (The last Open Hockey dates for 2022 are 12/12 and 12/14.) Grab your own winter brochure on your next visit to the ice rink! Be sure to follow all of the adventures of Lewis and his friend, Pam the Elf, this month on the Valpo Parks page.

12/09/2022

Today, Pam and Lewis are telling Orville exactly what presents they want 🎁 The list includes a new Michael Bublé Christmas album, the world's biggest bucket of popcorn (smothered with maple syrup of course), and a new skatepark!

Pretty ambitious, but we're confident Orville can pass it on to Santa. What's on your wish list this year?

12/08/2022

We're nearing the end of the year, and that means housekeeping and record clean-up! 🧹📝 We are anticipating many registrations for our 2023 programs next month, so we encourage everyone who has used RecDesk to sign up for a Valpo Parks program to log in to their profile and make sure all information is correct. Correct information ensures that you get all of our updates and streamlines registration in the future!

Be sure to share this so people who may not get our emails get the memo 👀

Log in to RecDesk here: https://valpoparks.recdesk.com/Community/Member/Login

12/08/2022

Lewis stays up to date with the Valpo Parks newsletter! Did you know every Monday we send out an update on what programs & events are coming up at Valpo Parks? Be sure not to miss out on anything with quick blurbs to fill you in and easy links to register 📨

Check out this past Monday’s Weekly Preview > https://conta.cc/3HfUQfJ
Sign up to get future Newsletters > http://bit.ly/ValpoParksNewsletter

12/07/2022

NEW! Valpo Parks Youth Volleyball is back for Winter 2023 🏐 There are a few spots left for girls grade 4 to 6 for the volleyball league running January 5 to March 9. This is the perfect way to stay active indoors while building team skills and in-game experience.

Register today! bit.ly/ValpoParksYouthVolleyball

12/07/2022

Join us and Community Healthcare System next Tuesday, December 13, to learn all about wallet friendly, healthy grocery shopping—without a car. 🛒

When it gets cold and blustery outside, it can be hard to get to the store, much less know what to buy when you get there, so we're here to help! The class will meet at Banta Center at 2pm, instructed by Shannon Hough, RN.

Register for FREE here: https://valpoparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1357

12/06/2022

Looks like Pam made her way downtown to Central Park Plaza to test out the crosswalks! They are officially elf-approved 👍

12/06/2022

Thank you Tudor Services for choosing the Valparaiso Skatepark for today's Taco Tuesday donation! Stop by during your lunch break and enjoy a taco for us 🌮

TODAY! 🎉 Join us for TUDOR TACO TUESDAY! We're raising money to support the Valparaiso Skate Park! We'll see you between 11:30-1:30pm at Living Hope Community Church: 1115 Calumet Ave.

A special thank you to our sponsors: MOLLY MAID of Valparaiso, Chesterton & Hobart, Tudor Floors, Matt Evans, Kaye Frataccia-Seibert, and Steve Bobinski! ❤️

12/06/2022

'Twas the 5th of December, or around thereabouts, that Pam stopped by Discovery Cottage to read a book to the Little Sprouts 📖🌱

12/04/2022

Lewis and Pam are taking advantage of the sunny weather by taking a bike ride around town using the Valparaiso Bikeshare! Where's your favorite place to bike on days like this? 🚲

12/03/2022

Everyone, meet Lewis' new partner, Pam the elf! She's excited for the opportunity to join the parks department this month and cause a little mayhem with Lewis 😜

You might even catch a glimpse of Pam at Santa & Sirens Toy Drive next Saturday! Stop by and don't forget your toy donation 🧸

12/02/2022

Today Lewis is helping the Valpo Parks Admin staff set up the Christmas tree in the lobby and it's looking festive! 🎄 It's up in the air whether getting tangled in the lights counts as "helping" though...

12/02/2022

Our silly elf Lewis is back for another Christmas countdown at Valpo Parks! 🎄🎁 But look out—it looks like he brought along a friend to help him keep us on our toes 🧐 For now, they're having fun on the playground at Butterfly Meadows, so make sure to check back every day to see what shenanigans they get up to!

12/01/2022

Thank you Valpo.Life for covering all the holiday cheer at Winter Fest! We had a great time kicking off the season with everyone ❄️🎄 Check out their photos below!

The Valparaiso Parks and Recreation department hosted its annual Winter Fest with festivities everyone can enjoy!

Take a look at our coverage here: http://bit.ly/3u78z0k

Valpo Parks

11/29/2022

Today is Giving Tuesday! 🌱

If you would like to donate to the parks, visit ValpoParksFoundation.org/donate to find out how you can give to our campaigns, including the Skatepark Fund, Legacy Fund, Youth Sports Fund and Creekside Trails, or give a general donation.

Each gift, no matter the size, will help ensure that our parks will be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities for generations to come.

Thank you!