By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Fun, family-friendly summer activities are back in Otsego.
Summer Fun Nights will take place each Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at the TOP Pavilion through July 29, while Summer Events at Northside Park will take place each Wednesday at 1 p.m. through July 31.
Otsego Summer Fun Nights is made possible by a partnership between Together Otsego Prospers (TOP) and Otsego Public Schools food service. The Summer Events at Northside Park is sponsored by Otsego Public Schools.
Both the Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon programs feature free meals for children ages 18 and younger. Those over the age of 18 can purchase a meal for $5.
Dinner starts at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesdays, with lunch available beginning at 12 p.m. on Wednesday.
Neither program will run the week of July 4.
This is the fourth installment of Otsego Summer Fun Nights and it’s the second year Together Otsego Prospers (TOP) has been involved, taking over from the City of Otsego.
“It makes a lot of sense for this to be a TOP program this year, since this event series is a perfect fit for their mission,” Otsego City Manager Aaron Mitchell said. “TOP is a local nonprofit that strives to help the Otsego community with its sponsoring of events, such as Gus Macker and the Artisan Market.”
Otsego Summer Fun Nights began on Tuesday, June 17, with Touch A Truck that featured many of the city’s vehicles.
Themes for the remaining Tuesday evenings are:
- June 24: Movie Night—Come down to the Otsego Public Library to eat dinner and watch “The Wild Robot.”
- July 8: The Great Sarkise—A local magician performing a variety of tricks, from close-up magic to stage illusions.
- July 15: Rock Painting—Otsego Arts Council will be hosting a rock painting event, with provided supplies.
- July 22: Paleo Joe—Various activities relating to paleontology and fossil education.
- July 29: Water Night—The city is hauling in loads of sand to turn the area into a beach. There will be bubbles, a slip n’ slide down the hill, a DJ and more.
Summer Events at Northside Park began on Wednesday, June 18 with representative from Home Depot on hand for a hand-on experience building hot air balloons.
Upcoming events are: - June 25: Mr. Juggling Mans—Enjoy a comedy juggling show performed by Mr. Juggling Mans.
- July 9: Bulldog Carnival—A fun carnival with games, sweet treats, prizes and more.
- July 16: Alan Kazam—A returning magician with a fun, interactive magic show.
- July 23: Wildlife Show—Holland Outdoor Discovery Center will be hosting a wildlife show with many animals.
- July 30: Back-to-School Bash—This is the last summer event with backpacks and school supply giveaways.
