Happy summer! The new season officially arrives today — Thursday, June 20 — and ends Sept. 22. That means we have 95 days of this summer season! To celebrate, we put together a list of 60 outdoor things to do with your family in Erie this summer:
- Whoop it up at Waldameer...
- Then chill out at Water World
- Visit the ExpERIEnce Children's Museum outdoor classroom
- Swim at Presque Isle
- Explore Wintergreen Gorge
- Search for beach glass along Lake Erie's shoreline
- Let the kids run the bases after an Erie SeaWolves game
- Get wet at the Bayview Park splash pad
- Explore the lagoons by kayak on Presque Isle
- Whiz down the slides at Frontier Park
- Laugh at the orangutans at the Erie Zoo
- Go on a mural hunt
- Lick your way through an orange vanilla twist cone at Sara's
- Don't share a Blue Moon from Denny's Ice Cream Stand
- Visit the Grandmother Tree at Asbury Woods
- Take the dog and dine on an outdoor patio at one of Erie's amazing locally-owned restaurants
- Enjoy a picnic on the steps of the Erie Art Museum
- Fly a kite at Sunset Point on Presque Isle
- Get wet at the Perry Square fountain
- Oooh and ahh over fireworks at Dobbins Landing (July 3)
- Zip(line) through the playground at McClelland Park then...
- Romp with a four-legged friend at the Larry R. Fabrizi Dog Park
- Play pickleball at Zuck Park
- Take your picture with a car creature at Schaefer's Auto Art
- Catch a fish ("Check out" fishing poles and gear for FREE from Blasco Library!)
- Aaargh on a Scallywag pirate cruise
- Explore the Erie African-American Heritage Trail
- See the view from the top of the Bicentennial Tower (Free the first Sunday of each month!)
- Bet on a fast filly at Presque Isle Downs & Casino
- Enjoy a sunset concert on the beach
- Splash in a shady Erie creek on a hot summer day
- Climb the 76 steps to the top of the Erie Land Lighthouse (Free tours the first Tuesday of each month)
- Enjoy a family-friendly movie under the stars
- Compete in a friendly round of mini-golf while learning some interesting area history at Adventures Erie at Lake Pleasant. Watch out for Bigfoot!
- Find a librarian on the loose at different Erie County locations all summer long
- Race the go-kart track at Sunview Miniature Golf
- Set up a tent for the weekend at Lampe Campground
- Take a sunset cruise on the Victorian Princess
- Take home a beautiful bouquet from Port Farms Summer Days
- Hike to Buttermilk Falls
- Find (and leave!) a book at a Little Free Library
- Slide at Frontier Park
- Take the dogs to Rita's for a pup-cone
- Say cheese with the ERIE sign at Bayview Park
- Buy local produce and goods at an Erie farmers' market
- Grab a yummy meal on Food Truck Fridays at Shades Beach
- Explore Erie County on two wheels with Lake Erie CycleFest
- Enjoy the sweet sounds of the Erie Philharmonic outdoors at one of the 16 free outdoor community concerts this summer
- Welcome the sun with free sunrise yoga at Dobbins Landing
- Park hop through Erie. (12 of Macaroni KID Erie's favorite parks and playgrounds!)
- Catch lightning bugs at Brown's Farm
- CelebrateErie!
- Explore Goodell Gardens in Edinboro
- Explore With Asbury Woods’ free Nature In Your Neighborhood Series
- Set up for a weekend at Erie Blues & Jazz Fest
- Go geocaching
- Take a ride on the Lettie G. Howard
- Check out' a kayak at Edinboro Lake
- Enjoy a round of disc golf at Penn State Behrend
- Relax as the sun sets on another day at Presque Isle
