Returning to Cass County’s Dr. T.K. Lawless County this month will be Winter Nights, a chance for anyone to come and enjoy some seasonal fun under a starry sky.

Patty Dohm with the Cass County Parks Department tells us they’ve been doing Winter Nights for more than ten years now with all kinds of activities for the young and young at heart.

“It’s all under lights, and so we have about 30 inner tubes that we put out that the kids can use to slide down the hill,” Dohm said. “And we have a concession area with the best hot chocolate around. And we also do some crafts and have a demonstration on viewing dark skies.”

Dohm says Winter Nights has long attracted crowds to the park.

“The kids absolutely love it. There’s a nice warm bonfire…And then when they want to do the crafts. Sometimes we have face painting — not all the time — but then they will get in a wagon and be pulled up to the maintenance building, where we have a conference room. And it’s warm in there, and they can take their coats off. Usually I have a movie playing, and we’ll do a craft, and they get warmed up, and they can either go back home or they can go back on the hill.”

Dr. Lawless Park is an official International Dark Sky Park, meaning you can find light pollution-free views. Visitors to Winter Nights can get a taste of that.

“Our Dark Sky Ambassador, Robert Parrish, will be there during the winter nights, and he’ll have his telescope.”

Dohm says the last two Saturdays of both January and February are set aside for Winter Nights, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m. If there’s no snow on the ground, the evening will be cancelled.

It’s $3 per person to get in, or a person can get in for bringing along two canned goods, which will then be given to local food pantries. You can learn more right here.