News & Updates

On June 5, 2019, the Stark County Park District Board of Park Commissioners voted to seek a 1.2 mill, 8 year property tax levy (1 mill replacement and 0.2 mill additional) for the November 2019 election. With this funding, Stark Parks will continue to make connections that will create destination…

Calling all trail cleanup warriors! Volunteers are needed to help clean up a new section of the Iron Horse Trail in Alliance in the first stages of beautifying this community asset. On Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 9 a.m. to noon, Stark Parks, in partnership with the Regula Center for Public Service and…

Friends of Stark Parks is proud to bring parkrun USA to Sippo Lake Park in 2019! parkrun is a completely free, weekly (held every Saturday morning), timed 5k staged at parks around the world, led by volunteers.   These 5k events are open to everyone – including walkers. Participants only need…

Stark Parks, in partnership with the City of Alliance and the University of Mount Union, will be starting work to connect the Iron Horse Trail to the Mahoning Valley Trail. The connection will be made through the university campus and downtown Alliance, and will link the two trails at Earley’s…

The popular program that combines the spontaneous sounds of nature and people enjoying a park with the orchestrated sounds of musicians is returning for its fifth season this summer.  Serenades in the Park is a free, family-friendly series of brass, woodwind, and string ensembles performing all over Stark County.  Everyone…

Warmer weather brings more people around the parks and enjoying hiking and biking trails across Stark County.    Stark Parks is the Place to Be this year and the Public Safety Department has compiled this list of etiquette and safety reminders: Be Courteous: Move to the right when stopping on a…

Humble Beginnings (1960s and 1970s) The year was 1967. Although Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources had been established 18 years before in 1949, it was three years before the establishment of the federal EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and celebration of the first Earth Day in 1970. It would be another…

  Stark Parks Volunteers and their accomplishments were celebrated at a honeybee-themed Recognition Dinner on Thursday, November 15 at the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park. The theme paid tribute to the hard work, variety of roles, and the common goals that are represented in the volunteer program. Volunteers from…

Thank you for your interest in performing your Eagle Scout or Gold Award project with the Stark Parks. We encourage you to visit our parks to generate a project idea to propose. Successful proposals identify an area of need to enhance our mission to acquire, preserve, and develop natural areas…

Live music performances in the parks are synonymous with the summer season. The big band sounds of the 1920s to 1950s will be performed by the Musical Memories Orchestra concerts in the parks this summer. The Thursday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m. concert will be inside the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park. Chairs…