Spring has already arrived in Erie. The snow has melted away and people are starting to take their warmer layers off, which is why there are new opportunities for us to try here in Erie, compared to winter.You can take your boat from the bayfront and sail to Presque Isle State Park. There, you can walk around the beaches and hike through the forests, where the trees bloom.

The beaches will open on Memorial Day weekend and when they do, you can swim or fish around the beautiful lakeshore of Presque Isle. Next to Presque Isle, is the fourth oldest amusement park in the state and tenth oldest amusement park in the country, Waldameer Park. First opening in 1896, this park now contains 36 attractions, five being roller coasters, and one being a log flume ride. The park first opens on May 7 for Season Pass Photo Day, along with May 8, however, only a few selected rides will be operational for this event. Waldameer will become fully operational on May 14, from noon to 8 p.m. on the weekends for the rest of the month.

Water World, its water park counterpart, will open on Memorial Day weekend from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.Erie’s baseball team, the Erie Seawolves, are set to have their opening day at home on April 8 against the Akron RubberDucks starting at 6:05 p.m. The Seawolves will play against Akron again on April 9 and 10, at 1:35 p.m. They will also have their first away baseball game in Somerset, Pennsylvania on April 12 through 18. For the month of April, there will be no baseball game on any Monday. However, they will play against the Richmond Flying Squirrels at home from April 19 through 25 and they will play away from home again, this time in Binghamton, New York, against the Mets from April 26 to May 1.

Nearby the university is the Erie Zoo which contains over 400 animals and 11 gardens in its botanical gardens. This Saturday, there will be an event called Enrichment Extravaganza, which will give people the opportunity to create enrichment for their favorite animal. This program allows visitors to help make enrichment activities for animals to keep them busy and happy in their habitats. On Friday, April 15, there will be an Art Show that will contain artwork made by the zoo animals themselves.

The artwork will included canvases, pottery, travel mugs and other animal-inspired works of art. The event will also be held on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May will host “Rhino Day” on May 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., to help save rhinos from extinction, the “Party for the Planet” on May 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the zoo will host the “UPMC National Senior Health and Fitness Day” on May 25, from 10 am to 1 pm.There are so many opportunities for us to experience this spring in Erie — too many to list for an article that is only 500 words long!