Opera - Orpheus & Eurydice

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A dramatic retelling of the classic Greek myth, focusing on musician Orpheus, who consumed by grief, is granted permission by Amor (Cupid) to enter the Underworld to rescue his beloved wife, Eurydice, without looking back at her, or lose her forever. A "visceral experience" the opera combines intense vocal performances with artistic, acrobatic movement to bring the story of love and loss to life. Known for prioritizing emotional dramatic effect, Gluck's celebrated, passionate score blends with aesthetic movement to explore themes of love, grief and longing. Music: Christoph Willibald Gluck, with instrumentation by Hector Berlioz. Libretto: Pierre-Louis Moline. 

10:30 AM meet to carpool, 1:00 PM before performance talk, 2:00 performance starts, back to ILR for cars approximately 6:00 PM.

Fees: $50.00 payable to the ILR at registration

Participants: Min 2 

Rigoletto, a sharp-witted, hunchbacked court jester to the Duke of Mantua, defends his master's womanizing until the Duke seduces Gilda, his daughter. Rigoletto tries to protect her from the philandering Duke leading to a catastrophic quest for vengeance. The story revolves around themes of a cursed jester, vengeful plots and intense betrayal. The production is based on Victor Hugo's play Le roi s'amuse and is hailed as a masterpiece of drama and melody. Music-Giuseppe Verdi, Libretto-Francesco Maria Piave.

10:30 AM meet to carpool, 1:00 PM before performance talk, 2:00 performance starts and back to ILR for cars approximately 6:00 PM.

Fees: $50.00 payable to the ILR at registration

Participants: Min 2

Join park staff to learn the art of orienteering. Learn how to read a map and use a compass. Then test your skills on a beginner’s flag course. All equipment will be provided.

Participants: Min 5, Max 20

Festivals, craft fairs, and other special events are all hallmarks of Autumn in Pennsylvania! If you enjoy going to these activities and would like to meet up with an ILR friend or two. Let's go together! Come to one outing or come to them all. The facilitator will gather and distribute the information about each outing and email it to those who are registered for this class. Each participant will be expected to read and respond to emails and make their own transportation arrangements to the locations (Primarily Butler, Mercer, and Lawrence Counties).

Building a pizza is both art and science. Information will include equipment needed, ingredients, and a demonstration on how to construct a pizza. Pizza will be made during the demonstration, including gluten-free pizza (not dairy-free). No, demo pizza will not be wasted - we will eat it! There will be extensive discussion and recipes will be distributed. Bring your questions about pizza making. We will be using the outside covered area at Pavilion 7, rain or shine. Access to the pavilion is level and easily accessible.

Participants: Min 1, Max 20

This is an introduction to the sport of rock crawling (RC). How a hike in the woods introduced me to RC cars and that led me to an obsession with rock crawlers. It is a great way to enjoy the outdoors while you watch your truck do the near impossible routes that your imagination dreams up. The different RC car disciplines will be explained and then crawlers will be demonstrated, with participants being allowed their turn behind the wheel of a RC Crawler. This is a great way to see what it is all about and to learn how to do it yourself. The course will last about 90 minutes, and there will be some hiking in the woods involved, so dress appropriately.

Participants: Min 6, Max 20

Dust off your spooky décor, Halloween is almost upon us! Get in the spirit of the spooky season by coming out to a program all about critters with a creepy reputation. Discover the true nature of these animals that make peoples’ skin crawl. After the presentation we will set off on a short hike, weather permitting.

Participants: Min 6, Max 50

We will have a guided tour of an exhibit at the Martha Gault Art Gallery on the SRU campus. The exhibit features both visual art and creative writing by SRU students and students from Saga University in Japan on the theme of "Chaos and Order." The exhibition will tour to Slippery Rock University in September 2026 and to Saga University in Japan in May 2027. Our tour will begin at 10:00 AM, one hour before the gallery opens to the public. Our guide will be Theresa Antonellis, Director of Martha Gault Art Gallery. Theresa Antonellis has an MFA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and degrees in studio arts and art history from Mount Holyoke College. She is a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.

Participants: Min 4, Max 16

Join an adventurous group of wine and food lovers for a monthly visit at a local (<50 miles) winery followed by a meal (maybe lunch or dinner depending on when the tasting room opens) generally around noon, but some venues do not open until 4:00. Experience usually lasts 90-120 minutes.

Participants: Min 6

Historic Zelienople was founded in 1802 by German Dettmar Basse who purchased 10,000 acres of Deprecation Lands and established the town named after his oldest daughter Zelie. This trip will include trips to the Passavant and Buhl Houses. The Passavants owned the Passavant House for nearly 150 years. In 1978, the Zelienople Historical Society (ZHS) purchased and restored the facility which is now listed on the Pennsylvania Register and National Register of Historic Places. The Buhl House was established by the Buhl family who became leaders in politics, business and philanthropy. The ten rooms in the house contain a museum displaying portraits and artifacts of the Buhl family and exhibits of the businesses and activities of early Zelienople town days. Free parking is available on Main St. and some side streets including a free lot at the corner of Main & Spring Streets and at the Walgreens.

Fee: $5.00 payable that day in cash, or check made out to ZHS. 

Participants: Min 5, Max 20

The Pittsburgh Zoo is both a Zoo and Aquarium. It contains animals from all seven continents including the ever-popular elephants, lions, giraffes, gorillas and much more. Signs provide information on many species of animals. It is situated in Highland Park where the zoo pathways wind up and around green spaces. Since it is large and on a hillside, this trip will require a fair amount of walking. There is a discount of $1 if 15 participants or more.

Fees: $24.00 

Participants: Min 6, Max 20