To Andrea Rush, executive director for the North Museum of Nature and Science, partnering with Millport Conservancy to hold a Family Fun Fall Fest just made sense. "Why wouldn't we do this?" asked Rush. "We are very attuned to our collective impact in the community. In working together, we achieve more for the Lancaster County residents we both serve."
With that goal in mind, the organizations' inaugural Fall Fest will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Millport Conservancy, 737 E. Millport Road, Lititz. The event will include a variety of games and other activities, including a mini reptile petting zoo and the Great Lititz Run Pumpkin Race, which will involve real pumpkins.
Organizers have put their heads together to come up with fun activities that do not skimp on educational aspects. "We have incredible science- and nature-related activities planned for the full day," said Rush. "(Attendees) may even find a real fossil or mineral in the archaeological dig pit." Along with activities such as face painting, those who dare may want to brave an obstacle course to encounter some creepy creatures often associated with autumn. "We promise no actual spiders were used in the (spider obstacle) course creation," Rush said.
The Great Lititz Pumpkin Race will give those who attend a chance to paint a pumpkin, which may then be enter it into a race to see how it fares down a portion of Lititz Run.
Rush noted that the partnership between the North Museum and Millport Conservancy is a natural fit. "The North Museum of Nature and Science is an organization with limited access to nature," explained Rush. "Millport Conservancy is an incredible natural asset to Lancaster County with limited infrastructure and without education staff or internal programming resources. We were brought together upon the suggestion of Millport board president Alan Caniglia, who also serves on our board as a (Franklin & Marshall College) liaison," said Rush.
The fundraiser will benefit science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming at the North Museum, along with Millport Conservancy's work to restore Lititz Run creek, which includes soil erosion control, wetlands restoration, and stream management.
Millport Conservancy was established in 1988. The 85-acre property is teeming with native wildlife and plants. In 2008, Franklin & Marshall College partnered with the conservancy in a pairing that has allowed the college to use the area for both education and research.
The North Museum, located at the corner of Buchanan and College avenues in Lancaster, is open year round. It features a variety of natural collections, an active glass-enclosed beehive, a state-of-the-art planetarium, a live animal room, and a dinosaur gallery.
Tickets to the Fall Fest may be purchased at http://www.northmuseum.org/events/fallfest/. Tickets, which are discounted for children, are tax deductible.
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