May 26, Saturday – Swimming Open Weekends at Cherry Plain State Park. Call the Park at 733-5400.
• Memorial Day Weekend at Grafton Lakes State Park – Swimming opens for season. Weekly swimming schedule is Friday-Tuesday from 10 am to 6 pm.
May 26, Saturday – Aliens in Your Backyard – The Mysterious World of Bugs, 2:30 pm. The group meets at the beach program tent. Join our Park Naturalists in exploring and discovering the strange and fascinating creatures that exist all around us.
May 28, Monday – Memorial Day Sand Sculpture Contest with prizes for all participants in multiple age categories. Sign up at 12 pm at the Beach Nature Center and build until 2 pm. Judging is from 2 to 3 pm. Show your creativity and your skill with sand on Long Pond Beach!
June 2, Saturday – National Trails Day at Grafton Lakes State Park. Registration and refreshments at 9 am at Shaver Nature Center, 194 Shaver Pond Road. Head out onto the trails for cleanup and trail maintenance from 9:30 am to 12 pm then come back to enjoy a complimentary barbecue and prize raffle for all of our wonderful volunteers. Please register for the barbecue by Wednesday, May 30, by calling 279-1155.
June 4, Monday – Full Moon Hike at Grafton Lakes State Park led by Friends member Dorothy Surprise at 8 pm. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Call 279-1155.
June 9, Saturday – Cemetery Restoration Seminar from 9 am to 3 pm. You will learn techniques in resetting stones, cleaning techniques and adhesive repair in one of the Park’s historic cemeteries. The class is free and a complimentary lunch will be served. To register, please call Dorothy Surprise at 641-9660 or email the Grafton Historical Society at historicgrafton@aol.com.
June 23, Saturday – Family Fishing Day – learn how to fish on Long Pond from 12 to 2 pm. As part of Free Fishing Weekend, the Park and DEC’s I Fish NY program are offering a free introduction to fishing for families. Meet along Long Pond Dam near the boathouse. Fishing poles will be provided. To hear the I Fish NY talk, please show up at 12 pm; fishing will be ongoing until 2 pm after that.
• June 23, Saturday – Family Fishing Derby from 7:30 am to 12 pm. This is a benefit for the Park’s Natural Heritage Trust Fund to support our environmental education programming, hosted by the Friends of GLSP. Register at the Pole Barn via the Winter Entrance. There will be prizes and fun for the family with fishing on all the Park’s ponds. Please call the Park for more information at 279-1155.
• June 23-24, Saturday and Sunday – Free Fishing Weekend. Fish throughout NY State without a license. Enjoy the water at Grafton Lakes as well as Cherry Plain State Parks. Happy Fishing!
This schedule of events is tentative. To confirm events, call the Grafton Lakes State Park office at 279-1155 or visit www.nysparks.com for updates and event additions.