August Picnic and December Party – Greater Akron Aquarium Society

The December 2025 Party

**GAAS Christmas Party Will Be Celebrated on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 7:00 pm* at the Ritchie Memorial Shelter House in Tallmadge**

Please make plans to attend the annual GAAS Christmas Party on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 7:00 pm at the Ritchie Memorial Shelter House.

*Please note the early start time of 7:00 pm. No RVSP is needed. Just show up!

Dinner and payment: The club will provide the meal, dessert, drinks, and everything for the meal. The menu will be a pasta bar with meatballs, chicken, and salad. (Attendees may bring a dessert if they wish.) There will be a minimal cost for dinner: $5.00 for current GAAS members; $15.00 for non-members (non-members will be buying a 2-year membership plus dinner with the payment of $15.00). Cash payments for dinner will be collected at the door.

Gift Exchange: We ask that members bring in a donated bag (or as many as you want to bring) of fish, live plants, driftwood, only new decorations or equipment, live food, or other hobby-related items. These donated items will be offered as a gift exchange in our traditional manner. Donations of livestock, plants, food, supplies, or anything hobby related do not need to be wrapped, but please label the items appropriately.

All BAP and HAP items turned in at the December 12, 2025, meeting will also be placed among the gift table items and will be applied to the 2026 BAP/HAP competition.

There will be no bowl show at the December meeting.

Awards for the 2025 Bowl show competition, Breeder of the Year, and Horticulturist of the Year will be presented at the December meeting.

The August 2026 Picnic

The Greater Akron Aquarium Society Picnic and Fishy Exchange Will Be on Friday, August 14, 2026, at 7:00 pm*

The location of the picnic will be the Main Shelter at the Monroe Falls Metro Park at 521 S River Rd, Munroe Falls, 44262 (Just north of Tallmadge Circle). Directions are on the GAAS website. We will be having a catered meal. We are asking for a $5 donation per person.

*Note the special start time: Please arrive at 7:00 pm. The picnic will start at approximately 7:00 pm.

The August 2026 GAAS meeting will be a picnic with no speaker or program. There will be an equipment raffle, but no bowl show. There will be no BAP/HAP auction in August, but if you’d like to turn in a spawn or plant, then that will be part of our “Fishy Exchange. ”The “Exchange” is for fish hobby related items and for livestock. Just bring 1 bag (or two or more) of fish you’ve raised or have extra to share, a new piece of equipment or decoration, or some plants or live food and add it to the gift table. Get a ticket when you arrive, and when your number is called, then take something else home! It’s easy and fun, so we hope to see everyone on Friday, August 14, 2026, at 7:00 pm at the the Main Shelter at the Monroe Falls Metro Park.

Directions and Clues to the Main Shelter

The location of the picnic will be the Main Shelter at Monroe Falls Metro Parks. Directions and a map are provided below.

The Main Shelter is indicated by the red dot on this map, located off of South River Road.

This is the view of the entrance to the Monroe Falls Metro Park Lake Park (looking East as traveling on South River Road—The entrance to the park is on the right). This intersection is about 1 mile East of SR 91 (Darrow Road).

Entrance to the Monroe Falls Metro Park, Lake Park, at 521 S River Rd, Munroe Falls, 44262 (off of South River road.)

Once in the Monroe Falls Metro Park, Lake Park, follow the one-way drive until you see the sign for the Main Shelter. Turn Left when you see the sign for the Main Shelter.

There is a large parking lot near the Mian Shelter, and access is through a gate in a fence that surrounds the lake. The Main Shelter has 10 permanent tables.

Photos From the 2025 Picnic

The 2025 GAAS Picnic Was a Fun Success

Everyone had a great dinner and came away with some interesting fish, plants, and raffle items. Hats off to the Swanson’s for preparing the delicious spread of picnic treats.