Park District Events Calendar

Sanctioned club volleyball tournaments held most Saturdays and Sundays hosted by Rockford Volleyball Association

Every Tuesday bring the entire family out for skating fun. Special Rate: $4.00 includes skate rental (under 2 free)! Also, remember every Tuesday is "Half-Price Tuesdays" at Sapora Playworld (ages 0-12). Bring the entire family! No discount coupons accepted.

With more than 30,000 known species, orchids represent the largest family of plants. But only one genus has agricultural value—the Vanilla orchid. Leading orchid expert and author of Vanilla Orchids: a Natural History, Ken Cameron covers the natural history of the world’s most popular flavor and fragrance and provides an introduction to the pollination, biology, structure, evolution, and diversity of Vanilla and related orchids. Book signing to follow. Vanilla Orchids: a Natural History will also be available in Garden Gate Gifts. Free with admission

Join 97 ZOK at the Carlson Ice Arena for our last Frosty Friday Skate Night! 97 ZOK will provide prizes and be giving away ZOK gear. Cost: $5 includes skate rental! No discount coupons accepted.

Sanctioned club volleyball tournaments held most Saturdays and Sundays hosted by Rockford Volleyball Association

With over 30,000 species or orchids, kids will see photos of big ones over 6 feet tall, little ones you need a magnifier to see, plus those that look like bugs or smell like rotting meat. They even get to see a live example of the Orchid that produces the vanilla bean. Best of all, the first 30 children accompanied by an adult get a free orchid! They will get guidance from members of the Blackhawk Orchid Society in transplanting these miniature orchids into new pots. Orchids in bud or bloom will be available for sale as a fund raiser for the Orchid Society. Class is free with admission.

View and purchase orchids from Rockford’s own Blackhawk Orchid Society. Blackhawk Orchid Members will be on hand to answer your orchid questions.

Come solve the mystery of where chocolate comes from during our Chocolate Challenge weekend! Learn how chocolate is made, and meet the tree that makes it all possible. The best part of this challenge might be taste testing different kinds of chocolate! Free with admission.

Members of the Blackhawk Orchid Society will demonstrate the repotting of orchids and discuss the cultural requirements of various plants and how to grow and bloom them in the home or greenhouse. Meet the experts and get your questions answered in the second half hour. Handouts on the requirements of specific orchid types will be available. Orchids in bud or bloom will be available for sale as a fund raiser for the Orchid Society. Class is free with admission.

Learn all the tricks to getting your orchid to bloom again. The presentation explains all of the factors that effect the growth and bloom of the common 'Moth Orchid" (Phaleanopsis) found for sale in grocery and hardware stores. You'll see examples of plants being grown by society members and get your questions answered. In addition, orchids in bud or bloom will be available for sale as a fund raiser for the Orchid Society. Class is free with admission.