Pathway Caring For Children

What a day to Read, Explore & Grow at our FREE Family Event at Beech Creek Botanical Gardens and Nature Preserve!

Great weather and a wonderful turnout exceeded every expectation as we welcomed more than 1,600 children and families for a day of learning, reading, exploration, and fun.

From free books, haircuts, balloon art, food, and cotton candy to meeting favorite characters, exploring nature, and making summer memories, it was inspiring to see so many families come together in one place!

The overwhelming response reminded us just how much our community values opportunities for children to learn, grow, and thrive. At Pathway, our mission is to help children and families realize the possibilities of their lives, and this event was a beautiful reflection of that mission in action.

Thank you to every family who joined us and showed such kindness and patience throughout the day as we worked through the unexpectedly large turnout.

A special thank you to the staff at Beech Creek Botanical Gardens & Nature Preserve and to the surrounding neighbors for your patience, flexibility, support, and hospitality!

This Reading for Resiliency initiative is supported by Ohio Children’s Alliance and the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health to strengthen connections through literacy, learning, and community engagement.

WOW. The Read. Explore. Grow. Free Family Day is already seeing an incredible turnout here at Beech Creek Botanical Gardens and Nature Preserve, and we are so grateful for every family who came out to be part of it today.

Thank you. Truly. Seeing this community show up for children and families is exactly why we do this work.

To anyone navigating the parking situation or waiting in line right now, we see you and we appreciate your patience. We are here until 4:00 PM with plenty of fun still ahead. If the crowds are feeling like a lot, you are also welcome to swing by later this afternoon. No registration required, so come when it works for your family.

All Day Fun:
FREE Admission to Beech Creek
FREE Books for All Children
FREE Haircuts
Balloon Artist
Face Painting
Cotton Candy
Meet and Greet with Heroes and Tiaras
Hydration Station

We are so thankful for this community. See you out there!

It's tomorrow! 📖 Join us for Read. Explore. Grow. — a free family day at Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve, Wednesday, June 24, 10 AM–4 PM.

No registration, no cost — just show up and enjoy free books, free haircuts, free food, story time with Stark Library, a reptile show, and so much more.

This Reading for Resiliency initiative is supported by Ohio Children's Alliance and the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health to strengthen connections through literacy, learning, and community engagement.

It's also made possible thanks to our wonderful community partners: , , Heroes & Tiaras, , , , , Katrina's Dance and Acro, and more. We're so grateful for your support in helping us strengthen family connections through literacy and play.

See you there!