🌳 We’ve Partnered with Dauphin County Parks & Rec—And It’s a Match Made in Muddy Boots and Maypole Dreams 🌷
We are thrilled (like, “my-kid-just-found-a-snack-I-didn’t-know-we-had” level thrilled) to officially welcome Dauphin County Parks & Recreation as a 2025 community partner! 🎉
Okay, okay… technically we’ve been partners for a couple of months now—but this is our big, splashy, shout-it-from-the-rooftops moment for anyone who hadn’t already noticed. (If this were a relationship on Facebook, we just made it "Facebook Official" 💍🌳)
Why the excitement? Because we share the same core values:
🌱 Nature.
🎨 Experiential learning.
🚶♀️ Long walks that may or may not involve bribing children with snacks.
Whether it’s chasing butterflies at Detweiler, building mini garden empires at Fort Hunter, or learning life skills through frisbee flinging (hello, Disc Golf 101!), DCPR gets that the best learning happens when you’re out in the world, exploring it.
That’s why we’re so excited to launch this brand-new, wildly dynamic (and occasionally ridiculous) feature: The Dauphin County Parks & Rec Corner! 🐢🎶🌸
Each month, we’ll round up the most family-friendly, memory-making, budget-saving events happening across DCPR’s incredible lineup—and serve them up with a big ol’ side of humor and helpful details. Whether you’re here for the crafts, the critters, the camps, or the coffee trucks…we’ve got you covered.
Ready to get outside and into the fun? Let’s do this.
🌳 Dauphin County Parks & Rec Corner
☀️ Dauphin County Summer Guide: From Scavenger Hunts to Sax Solos, Here’s Where the Family Fun Begins
Because your kids can only collect so many rocks before they start charging the neighbor’s dog admission to their “Backyard Nature Museum”...
Summer is officially ON in Dauphin County, and it’s coming in hot with kid-friendly events, live music, festivals, outdoor adventures, and more free snacks than your kid can spill in a single day.
If you're raising small humans in Harrisburg, the West Shore, or anywhere from Linglestown to Lower Paxton, here's what you need to know: there’s a full season of fun waiting — and it’s cleverly disguised as educational enrichment.
Let's start with the biggest events families should mark on their calendars:
🎸 Proudly PA! – June 14 at Fort Hunter Park
Wineries, food trucks, and live music featuring The Commonheart, Aaron Fink & The Fury, and other grown-up bands you actually want to hear. It's like a field trip for adults. Kids under 12? Free.
🎟️ Tickets and details here
🎬 Sunset Music & Movie Series – Fridays, All Summer
Load the van with snacks and collapsible chairs! Watch family-favorite movies like Inside Out 2, The Grinch, and Moana 2 under the stars — all totally FREE. Also includes live dance, jazz, and Broadway music.
🌅 View the full lineup
🎨 Art in the Wild at Wildwood Park – Now through September 30
A FREE nature walk where kids can touch (some) art, pretend to be judges on "American Sculpture Idol," and find weird sticks that they definitely need to bring home.
🌿 See this year’s theme
🕵️ Parks Passport + Ready, Set, Explore!
These two FREE mobile-based programs send kids racing through parks, checking in at locations, completing mini-missions, and earning actual prizes. Think: scavenger hunt meets outdoor escape room.
🎯 Join here before points reset July 1
📚 StoryWalk® – Doe’s Dandelions at Detweiler & Lykens Glen
An adorable walk-through book experience built into local trails. Bonus: no one can say they’re bored while reading and walking at the same time.
🦌 Learn more here
Still want more? Of course you do.
🎶 BrewFest – July 19 (OK, this one's more for parents)
Craft beer. Craft food. Crafting an excuse to call the babysitter.
🍻 Get tickets early
🌍 Cultural Fest – August 16
Free and family-friendly with food, music, performances, kids’ games, and reasons to eat from 9 different food trucks and call it “educational.”
🌏 Event details here
🎷 Jazz & Wine Festival – September 6–7
If you’ve never let your kid dance in the grass while you sip wine and listen to world-class jazz... what are you even doing with your weekends?
🎵 Tickets sell out fast
And that’s not even counting Garden Faire, Wetlands Festival, Wild About Dogs, Wellness Walks, and the countless ways Dauphin County Parks & Rec makes parenting easier and way more fun.
So save this guide. Forward it to your carpool crew. Screenshot it for when your kids say “There’s nothing to do.” Summer in Harrisburg and the West Shore just got leveled up.
👉 Click here for full listings, free programs, registration, and updates
