New format showcases park with family-friendly events all week long
Discover Presque Isle, organized under a new event format, will highlight the park’s rich offerings. The multi-day celebration occupies several areas of the park and offers dozens of family-friendly recreational and educational opportunities such as self-guided and in-person hikes, archery, catered pancake breakfasts, live music, sand sculpture competition, kite beach illumination and the giant bonfire. Along with the activities below, you can also rent bikes, canoes, kayaks, visit the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, and tour the Presque Isle lighthouse throughout the week.
While nearly all programs are free, donations are encouraged and appreciated as they help to further the Presque Isle Partnership mission. (Any paid programs or programs requiring pre-registration are noted below).
Take part in a series of self-guided nature walks along designated trails at Presque Isle. Four DCNR naturalist-designed, self-guided walks complete with directions, suggested resting stops and nature information will have you discovering your park. Details on each Flat Naturalist walk can be found here. Access each file before and during your walk!
Location: Play field near Public Safety Building on Presque Isle
Interested in experiencing archery? Stop at the Play Field located just beyond the Public Safety Building for a chance to try out this exciting sport from the local archery experts, Archery Encounters.
Enjoy some outdoor exercise in the big white tent on Beach 8 overlooking Lake Erie! More details here.
Enjoy a variety of nature activities designed for kids such as Tree “Make a Match Game” Scavenger Hunt, Butterflies for Kids, and making nature notebooks. RELEAF will be donating trees for whoever would like to take one home. The nature activities will emphasize tree and water education.
Join a Park Naturalist for a historical one-mile walk to discover the uses of the sidewalk trail through time while learning about unique habitats, plants, and animals that can be seen along the way. Limited to 20 participants. Register by July 22. Register here.
Join Park Naturalists for an early morning one-hour boat tour of the lagoon system. Children 12 and under must wear a life jacket, provided. Sign-up is on location, in-person, first come first serve, 15 minutes prior to start time. Limited to 10 participants per ride.
Free live music is set to fill the breeze at Presque Isle State Park this summer for the popular 6-week UPMC Sunset Music Series. Organized by the Presque Isle Partnership and presented by UPMC Health Plan and UPMC Hamot, the Beach 11 concert series begins Wednesday, June 22, and continues weekly through July 27 from 5:30 p.m. to sunset.
Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy weekly entertainment from two live bands, local food trucks, ice cream, free hula-hoop play shops and extended swimming hours. Beach 11 features ample parking, ADA Mobi-Mat pathways for wheelchair accessibility onto the beach, and a nature playground.
The event is pet friendly with certain restrictions: pets must remain behind the lifeguard chairs, near the tree line and always leashed. Beach 11 is a smoke-free beach and alcohol is not permitted on Presque Isle State Park. Always remember to leave no trace when visiting the park.
Location: Northwest corner of the Beach 8 Parking Lot
The Natural History Museum naturalist and Presque Isle State Park Naturalists will have a booth set up to demonstrate insect capture techniques and showcase displays of butterflies and other insect specimens that can be found on the peninsula.
Stop by and enjoy a delicious battered haddock fish dinner cooked by the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie. Meal includes 8.5oz battered haddock filet, side of pasta salad & coleslaw, dinner roll, chips, and a drink. Enjoy your food there or take it on the go. Limited to 300 meals. $15 per meal.
Location: Pine Tree Trail, east trailhead
Moths outnumber butterflies 10 to 1 and are just as beautiful and fascinating! Join the TREC Natural History Museum and watch as a wide variety of moths are attracted to a UV light sheet trap.
Location: Sunset Point / Kite Beach
The Sunset Point Kite Flyers will be flying their kites at Sunset Point! Stop by to relax and marvel at the kites on Presque Isle.
Location: Sunset Point / Kite Beach
Prepare to be wowed by the colorful and glowing kites, windsocks and other airborne and land-bound lighted creations! Park at Beach 10 and enjoy the unique blend of kites and scenery.
Location: Erie Bluffs State Park
The Delta Aquariids will be visible this year during the last week of July. The meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Aquarius from which it appears to originate from. Join Park Naturalists to view this special phenomenon. Pre-registration required. Click here to register.
Location: Sunset Point / Kite Beach
The Sunset Point Kite Flyers will be flying their kites at Sunset Point! Stop by to relax and marvel at the kites on Presque Isle.
Show off your sand sculpting skills at Beach 11. All skill levels are welcome! Register morning-of at the Presque Isle Partnership tent. 9am - 12:30pm (build); 12:30 (judging); 1:30pm (awards)
Breakfast is served on Saturday and Sunday mornings at the annual Presque Isle Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast! Bring the whole family and spend the rest of the day discovering Presque Isle. Adults $9; Children (under 12) $5; Add eggs for $1.
Fish with the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie. License not required; equipment provided.
Location: Outdoor Pavilion at Tom Ridge Environmental Center
Give archery a try at this beginner’s program with Park Naturalists. You will be introduced to the equipment, how to use it, and how to shoot safely. No experience is necessary.
Kinetic Creativity presents fire performances by Jennifer Dennehy, Samantha Cyparski, and Sophia Kopasakis around the giant bonfire. Enjoy a safe and dazzling demonstration of fire art!
Feel the heat of the Giant Bonfire at Beach 11 on Saturday Night! Shout out the maintenance crew at Presque Isle for constructing this monster of a bonfire.
Location: Ride starts at Beach 1 Pavilion
Cyclists will have the opportunity to become one with the sun at Erie's most popular tourist destination, Presque Isle State Park, during the Presque Isle Sunrise Ride. New for 2022, the ride will be hosted at the end of Discover Presque Isle, a multi-day celebration that aims to draw attention to the Park’s numerous recreational opportunities and diverse natural ecosystems. The flat, 13-mile loop features water views on both sides, and is one of the most spectacular routes in the region. The ride will start at the Beach 1 Pavilion, and all registered cyclists will be given a ticket to the Discover PI Pancake Breakfast at the Rotary Pavilion.
Cost: Early Bird - $25 (ends June 30) / $35 Registration deadline: day-of registration is accepted
Breakfast is served on Saturday and Sunday mornings at the annual Presque Isle Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast! Bring the whole family and spend the rest of the day discovering Presque Isle. Adults $9; Children (under 12) $5; Add eggs for $1.
Location: Tom Ridge Environmental Center
Several local artists whose work is featured in Presque Isle Gallery & Gifts will be on site showcasing their creations. Shop local!
Location: Outdoor pavilion at TREC
Join members of the Presque Isle Audubon Society for a variety of kid friendly activities and crafts. Free to participate while supplies last.
For more information, visit Presque Isle Partnership.
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