more info 
Friday, March 21
9:00 am at Elizabeth Park, Trenton
11:00 am at Hines Park - Nankin Mills Area, Westland
A blizzard of twenty thousand marshmallows will fill the sky as they tumble from the Easter Bunny’s helicopter on Good Friday. Eager children will pick up and redeem for a prize.
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Saturday, April 12
1:00-4:00 pm at the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center, Westland
Kids from grades 7-12 are invited to compete in the first annual Elements Art Competition. To celebrate Earth Day, students can create a sculpture made of recycled materials that will be on display at the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center. Winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 19. To receive an entry form and contest rules, call the parks office at (734) 261-1990.
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Saturday, April 19
9:00 am – Noon at Hines Park - Nankin Mills Area, Westland
The Wayne County Youth Council will be hosting the second annual Teens to Clean event to celebrate Earth Day. Teens aged 13-18 are invited to help clean up areas along Hines Drive. Water and snacks will be provided.
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Walk Michigan is a year round fitness program organized to promote good health and to highlight the many recreation areas in Michigan. At each Walk Michigan event, participants can enter a drawing for a trip for two to Mackinac Island and the Governor’s Annual Labor Day Bridge Walk. Call the park office for a current Walk Michigan schedule.
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May 3 – September 27
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Six miles of Hines Park (Hines Drive) will be closed to traffic every Saturday for the public of all ages to run, walk, skate, or cycle safely. Hines Drive will be closed from the Warrendale Picnic Area (west of Outer Drive) to the Nankin Mills Area (near Ann Arbor Trail). Parking is available at Warrendale and Nankin Mills picnic areas.
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Saturday, May 3
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm at Hines Park – Nankin Mills Area
Join us for a day of kite making demonstrations, stunt kites and crafts for kids. There is also an open flying field where everyone can decorate the sky with their own kites. There will be music for the whole family to enjoy and moonwalks for the kids to bounce in. A fun filled day for the entire family!! Co-sponsored by the Kites and Fun Things store.
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Saturday, May 17
8:00 am - Noon at Hines Park - Waterford Bend Area, Northville
All kids ages 12 and under are welcome to have some fishing fun and win prizes. The Rouge River will be stocked with rainbow trout and a casting contest will take place. All anglers need to bring their own equipment and bait. This event is co-sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of America – Plymouth Chapter 528 and Northville Parks and Recreation. Register on site starting at 7:30 am.
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Wednesday, June 4 at Elizabeth Park in Trenton
Friday, June 6 at Canfield Center, Dearborn Heights
Thursday, June 11 at Garbriel Richard Park, Detroit
All events start at 10:30 a.m.
Wayne County Parks is hosting this event for tomorrow’s champions. Events include Marshmallow Shot Put, Big Wheel Grand Prix (children must bring their own big wheel or bike), Paper Plate Discus, Diaper Derby, Toddler Trot and more! Children ages 5 and under and their parents are welcome. Co-sponsored by Trenton Parks and Recreation, Dearborn Heights Parks and Recreation and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
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Saturday, June 7
1:00-3:00 pm at Elizabeth Park, Trenton
If you have not visited the Elizabeth Park Skate Park, you are in for a treat. There will be skate demos, contests, music and refreshments. Check out the new skate equipment that was just installed this spring. Grab your board and head to Elizabeth Park! Co-sponsored by Anime to Skateboards store in Southgate.
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Saturday, June 21
11:00 am – 3:00 pm at Hines Park – Warrendale Picnic Area, Dearborn Heights
Join Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano for an afternoon of food, bingo, entertainment, demonstrations and wheel of fortune. Free tickets are available at our Nutrition Center or by calling Senior Services at (734) 727-7373.
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Saturday, June 28
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm at Crosswinds March, Sumpter Township
The whole family will enjoy this fun filled Nature Fest! This nature-oriented event will feature live entertainment, nature crafts and games, a face painting clown and free canoeing. Come and see one of the few nesting pairs of bald eagles in Wayne County or enjoy a nature hike led by our county naturalists. All kinds of creatures will be on hand at the animal tent, the Birds of Prey Program and the Michigan Animals Presentation. Contest activities for the kids include a fishing contest, a scavenger hunt, a nature photo contest and a nature drawing/painting contest. Please bring your best nature photo, painting or drawing to be judged. Contest registration begins at 1:00 pm and prizes will be awarded to the winners of each contest at 4:00 pm. A limited number of fishing poles are available for those who may need to borrow one.
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Tuesday, July 8
2-4 pm at Nankin Mills Area, Westland
Teens aged 13-17, bring your friends and try volleyball in a whole new way!Volleyball nets will be set up in the Mud Day pit for teens to participate in some fun in the mud.
No fee is required but you must pre-register as space is limited. For a registration form, call (734) 261-1990.
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Tuesday, July 8
11:00 am – 1:00 pm at Hines Park - Nankin Mills Area, Westland.
Combine two hundred tons of topsoil and twenty thousand gallons of water and you have created every child’s fantasy and every mother’s nightmare. To top off the event, we crown our champions, Mr. & Ms. Mud. The Westland Fire Department will be on hand to hose off all the muddy kids! For groups of 15 or more kids, please call Kim at (734) 261-9087 to register.
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Friday, July 11
4:00 pm at Rivard Plaza, Detroit (Pre-tug activities)
6:00 pm at Hart Plaza, Detroit
Deemed as the ultimate sporting challenge, the tug-of-war features a five minute test of raw strength and endurance. The Canadian and American teams enlist 24 combatants in a hand-over-hand race of time to tug 1,000 feet of rope out of the swift currents of the Detroit River. Join us for the pre-tug festivities at Rivard Plaza, such as face painting, balloon art and live entertainment. Co-sponsored by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Oakland County Parks and Recreation.
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July 12
Noon – 9:00 pm at Hines Park – Warrendale Picnic Area, Dearborn Heights
Wayne County Parks is proud to present an exciting 1-day festival highlighting the upbeat sounds of Polka music. Dance enthusiasts will love dancing to the music. Ethnic dancers in authentic Polish costumes will perform as you sit back and relax. Food concessions and a beer tent will be available. Contact the parks office for a complete schedule in May.
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August 2-3
1:00 pm – Dark at Elizabeth Park, Trenton.
The sounds of cool jazz will fill the air as national and local artists take the stage. Bring your blankets and chairs and get ready to tap your feet to the beat. The Detroit River provides a beautiful background for this musical extravaganza. Call the parks office in July for the exciting schedule.
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Saturday, August 16
1:00-3:00 pm at Hines Park - Nankin Mills Area, Westland
Help us wind down the summer with a day planned just for kids! There will be wacky olympic games, moonwalks, hula hoop contests, live entertainment, water balloon races and much more!
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Saturday, September 13
1:00 – 5:00 pm at Nankin Mills Interpretive Center, Westland.
The native people of the Great Lakes, the Anishnabeg, (including the Ojibwa, Odawa and Potawatomi people) will host a special Social Gathering at Nankin Mills to share their culture and their heritage. A drumming circle will lead the dancers in their beautiful regalia through the ceremony. These dedicated drummers, singers, dancers and artisans follow the Pow Wow trail all over North America. It is poignant that they will gather at Nankin Mills, a historic gathering site for Anishnabeg. Native artisans will display, demonstrate and sell their crafts, and authentic Native American food will be available for purchase. Bring the whole family to share in this celebration of Michigan’s first people. All ages welcome.
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Sunday, September 21
11:00 am - 5:00 pm at Elizabeth Park, Trenton.
This fun-filled family event is designed to recreate Elizabeth Park in the late 1920’s. Antique auto displays, riverboat rides, musical entertainment and refreshments. The children’s games and entertainment area is a sure hit for all ages! Come and enjoy one of Wayne County Parks’ most popular events. Sponsored in cooperation with Trenton Parks and Recreation.
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Saturday, September 27
1:00 – 5:00 pm at Nankin Mills Interpretive Center, Westland
Free Event! Tickets $4 per person for Craft Tent
Enjoy an afternoon visiting yesteryear with activities, music and re-enactors from the 1800s. Period demonstrations may feature black smithing, butter making, wool spinning, cider pressing, flour grinding, quilting, lumberjacking, outdoor cooking and more! The air will be filled with the sounds of old-time musical entertainment, and visitors will have a chance to take a leisurely hayride on Hines Drive. The “historic”craft tent and old-fashioned games can be enjoyed by all. Concession snacks are available. Make sure you visit our Gristmill Era history exhibits while you’re here! Co-sponsored by the Friends of Nankin Mills. All ages welcome.
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Saturday, October 18
1:00 –3:00 pm at Hines Park - Nankin Mills Area, Westland.
Games, entertainment, hayrides, candy and fun await the children at this free special event. Join the spook-free fun!
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Tuesday, November 18
7:00 pm at Hines Park – Merriman Hollow Area, Westland
Enjoy a breathtaking run/walk through Midwest’s longest drive through holiday light display. Call the park office for registration fees and information in September. Co-sponsored by Total Runner.
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Wednesday, November 19
7:00 p.m. at Hines Park – Merriman Hollow Area, Westland
Due to popular demand, Wayne County Parks is now offering bike riders a chance to bike through the lights before it opens to the public. Call the park office for registration fees and information in September. Co-sponsored by Michigan Mountain Biking Association and www.beatthetrain.com.
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Thursday, November 20
6:00 pm at Hines Park – Merriman Hollow Area, Westland
Help us kick off the start of the Wayne County Lightfest by attending a sneak preview with music, refreshments and a fireworks display. It’s a night your whole family will remember!
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November 21, 2008 - January 1, 2009
7:00 -10:00 pm (closed December 25) – Hines Drive
Visit the Midwest’s longest drive-through holiday light display. Four miles of colorful lights for a $5/car donation. Enter off Merriman Road, between Ann Arbor Trail and Warren Avenue in Westland. For more information on this holiday spectacular or to register a bus/limo, call the parks office.
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Saturday, December 13
4:00 – 6:00 pm at the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center, Westland
$4 per participant for crafts and games (4:00-5:15 pm). No charge for Santa visit and tree lighting (5:15 – 6:00 pm).
The Friends of Nankin Mills and Wayne County Parks are pleased to invite the community to join us during this special time of year for an old-fashioned celebration at historic Nankin Mills. The first portion of the program features seasonal crafts you can make and take home to decorate your tree. Unique seasonal games, such as “fruitcake bowling”, “pin the nose on Rudolph” and “reindeer antler wreath toss” are also featured. The second part of the program includes a short outdoor community Tree Lighting and Sing-a-long with an indoor visit from St. Nick, sponsored by the Friends of Nankin Mills. Refreshments provided. This is the 21st year the Friends have held this event! All ages welcome.
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