Being in the water is one of the best parts of the warmer months, especially in Oakland County, a place home to a wide variety of great swimming spots, but it is incredibly important to stay safe while you are swimming. Review these swimming safety tips before taking a dip in your favorite lake or pool.
Are you searching for an adventure unlike any other? Lucky for you, Oakland County is home to one of the best aerial adventure parks in Michigan! TreeRunner West Bloomfield Adventure Park is an exciting location to visit for folks of all ages, boasting over 130 awesome obstacles and zip lines, three difficulty levels, seven different courses, and plenty more to explore. The park is open seven days a week starting June 14th until November 4th, rain or shine.
“Wherever I go, I see little bits of nature, little bits of animal behavior. And nobody else is watching…” Those are the words of iconic conservationist Jane Goodall in her 2018 interview titled, “Living with Chimps” that appears in the BBC publication, Science Focus. I had just finished reading the text of her interview last Friday about her controversial career and how her observations transformed the way we see our primate cousins. It was then time to head off to Springfield Oaks County Park for the grand opening of the 2018 Oakland County Fair. Jane Goodall was not on my mind nor was wildlife observation, but sometimes things change quickly.
Springfield Oaks County Park is not where folks generally go to embrace the wilds of nature or seek solitude. Springfield Oaks bustles with popular crowd oriented activities. The Oakland County Parks website makes no mention of passive nature exploration at their 333-acre multi-use park, but quite correctly boasts of the crowd-attracting venues:
“Springfield Oaks is home of the historic Ellis Barn and annual Oakland County Fair, which draws 100,000+ visitors annually to the 10-day event. The 1884 Ellis Barn is 14,000-square-feet and features an indoor riding arena, 11 box stalls, mechanical exercise ring and cavernous second floor for hay and straw. The barn was donated by former major league baseball players Kirk Gibson and Tim Birtsas and moved from its original located on Dixie Highway to Springfield Oaks in 2005. Today, the barn is used to host weddings and special events like the Ellis Barn Dance and the Michigan Antique Festival. The park also offers a multipurpose room for banquets, reunions and seminars as well as exhibit hall space. The grounds include two outdoor arenas.”
School is out and that means kids all around Oakland County are searching for fun activities to keep them entertained. Luckily, there are a wide variety of summer camps and outdoor entertainment happening in our area. Whether they’re interested in boating down a steady stream, hiking in the hills, crafting pieces of art, or practicing robotics indoors, communities in Oakland County have something for everyone.
For a complete list of summer camps and outdoor activities, visit our master list below.
The annual Oakland County Fair is nearly here! From July 6 to July 15, 2018, people from all across Michigan will be arriving on the fairgrounds at Springfield Oaks County Park in Davisburg, Michigan to celebrate over a week of family-friendly fun. With a few new events, as well as many returning favorites, this year’s fair is surely going to be Oakland County’s hottest July destination spot.
