Family events ease holiday stress

By Natalie Wright

Neighbors Editor

The holiday season is just around the corner and before you know it, the kids will be out of school.

I think we all remember what it was like when those first few days of winter break struck - the excitement of the upcoming holiday festivities, the thrill of being out of school for nearly two whole weeks!

As parents, grandparents or caregivers in general, the surplus of energy that this anticipation can bring often causes stress and headaches that even a good dose of holiday cheer can’t completely cure. Luckily, there are more than a few activities around the area that can entertain the whole family or just the young ones on their own.

Mill Creek Parks is offering holiday family fun throughout the month. One event that Neighbors has our eyes on is Holiday Nature Crafts on Dec. 19 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Pioneer Pavilion. Please note that this event is for children ages 7 and up only, and does include a fee of $7 for residents and $10 for nonresidents. If you are planning on attending, you must register and pay at Ford Nature Center by Dec. 15. Throughout the month, Fellows Riverside Gardens will be hosting Winter Celebration: The Forest. The gardens will be staying open late on Saturdays and Sundays for the Electric Garden - a festive holiday display that fills the gardens with thousands of lights.

The branches of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will also offer some great holiday programs, including a Holiday Movie Matinee at the Austintown branch on Dec. 19 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. The movie will be rated PG or G and the entire family is invited to attend. Children under 7-years of age must be accompanied by an adult. The Austintown library will also be the location of the Noon Year’s Eve Party on Dec. 30 from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Children of all ages are invited to attend this event, which will feature music, dancing, a story, crafts, light refreshments and a ball drop.

Several locations throughout the area will also host holiday light displays throughout December. This list is solely made of displays in the Neighbors areas and more locations may be added at a later time. Locations include:

• “Austintown Christmas” at 3810 Dunbar Street in Austintown

• “Winter Wonderland” at 3946 Montereale Dr. in Canfield

• “Canfield Christmas Lights” at 333 Fairview Ave. in Canfield

• “The Boyd Family Christmas Display” at 5515 West Boulevard in Boardman

• “Holidays with the Hughes” at 7433 Ranier Trail in Boardman

• “Boardman Park Holiday Lights” at 375 Boardman-Poland Road in Boardman

More information on these and other events can be found online at www.libraryvisit.org and www.millcreekmetroparks.org.