I Love Olander Day is going virtual for 2020!
Over the last three years, ILOD has become one of TOPS’ most popular annual events. Every year we gather together on a Sunday in September at Olander Park to celebrate Lake Olander, TOPS parks, and the Sylvania community at this fun, family event. While we can’t gather together this year, we don’t want this pandemic to keep us from celebrating and showcasing all that Sylvania and the surrounding community has to offer.
Join us as we celebrate all month long with virtual events for everyone!
- I Love Olander Day - Virtual Art Market
- Step Up & Park It Wellness Challenge
- Game On! Let's Play CLUE!
- Heart to Heart Letter Campaign
The ILOD Art Market has expanded every year due to the talented individuals who live, work, and create in Sylvania and the surrounding communities. While we can’t showcase their talents in the park this year, check out their work here. Click on their links to learn more about their art and find out where you can purchase their work.
Virtual Art Market - Featured Artists
Featured Artist – October 6
Melany Gladieux of Kids Yoga Toledo
“So many people have inspired me throughout my life. There have been teachers, pastors, friends, family, but mostly my children. Each day I wake up, move, and breathe for them. They are my breath.” -Melany G
- Email: Kidsyogatoledo@yahoo.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kids-Yoga-Toledo-1046308138758403/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsyogatoledo/
Featured Artist – October 3
Kamakshi Sridhar
Featured Artist – October 1
Martha Quiroga of The Shaman and the Bear, Medicinal Herbal Products
Featured Artist – September 29
Elizabeth Lane of 365 Days in Toledo
Featured Artist – September 24
Sumana Sharmin of Neelopal
Sumana is a mother of two and currently stays at home to take care of her family. She is very crafty volunteering to make costume designs and stage decorations for local theaters and schools. She started making jewelry as a hobby. Her friends loved her jewelry so much she decided to try converting it into a business, and Neelopal was born.
Neelopal is mostly a handmade jewelry business. She offers handmade jewelry featuring gemstones and pearls. She also offers the following custom-made items: photo frames for all occasions, backdrops, and diaper cakes. Neelopal is a favorite at I Love Olander Day with a booth at both the 2018 and 2019 events. We look forward to having her back in 2021!
To learn more about Neelopal and to view her beautiful items, visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Neelopal-154146787985916/
Featured Artist – September 21
Lynda Hoffman of Face Masks for a Cause
Featured Artist – September 17
Cindy Carnicom & Robin Parker of Poppin Up Natives
Committed to bringing nature home, one plant at a time
Cindy and Robin are passionate about native plants in the landscape. They both have spent many years working in restoration and conservation in NW Ohio. When the local native plant nursery moved away, they knew that a replacement was needed. Robin’s home greenhouse was brought back to life and the birth of Poppin Up Natives began. They say they are still a work in progress but their native species count continues to grow each year! Why they think you should go native :
- Ecological Benefits: Establishes an oasis for native birds, butterflies, wildlife, and humans
- Low Maintenance: Natives conserve water and soil, plus they are winter hardy and drought tolerant
- Non-Polluting: Less need for you to use fertilizers or pesticides, great filtering benefits
To learn more about Poppin Up Natives and how they can help you create the native garden of your dreams, visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/poppinupnatives
Ready to purchase plants? Give them a call at 567-277-0751 or email poppinupnatives@gmail.com
Featured Artist – September 15
Lindsay Haynes
Lindsay is a 22-year-old artist based in Toledo, Ohio. She will receive her Bachelor of Art in Visual Arts with a Minor in Art History from the University of Toledo in December 2020. Lindsay mainly works hands-on, creating large sculptural pieces using a variety of mixed media including pom-poms, tinsel, and polyurethane foam. Lindsay draws most of her inspiration from her childhood, and what it means to be a kid. She utilizes bright colors and interesting textures to create nostalgic feelings in her art. With her work, she hopes to inspire others to be curious, be messy, be playful, and above all…have fun.
Featured Artist – September 14
Stephanie Pilgrim and Jane Wurth of Bowinkles
Bringing children’s fashion from all over the world to Sylvania
Bowinkles was founded in February 2016 by mother-daughter duo Jane Wurth and Stephanie Pilgrim. Both Sylvania natives, they decided it was time to add a children’s clothing boutique to the heart of downtown Sylvania. They have a talent for finding comfortable yet stylish clothing for Girls, Boys, and infants and carry newborn to size 8. They also curate wonderful accessories that make great gifts. Bonus: monogramming is available on most items! Bowinkles was a vendor in our 2019 I Love Olander Day event and we look forward to seeing them in the park again in 2021.
Featured Artist – September 11
Haileigh Schmidt
Hand-drawn and Abstract Nail Art
Featured Artist – September 10
Mary Vogel of An Embellished Sloth
An Embellished Sloth is an embroidery/sewing biz offering a little of this, a little of that and a whole lot of cute!
See more of her work and shop An Embellished Sloth via her website at her Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/anembellishedsloth, and her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/anembellishedsloth/
Featured Artist – September 9
Garrett Wheeler of GarrettWheelerGlass
Hand Blown Glass, made in the Glass City
- GarrettWheelerGlass
- GarrettWheelerGlass
- GarrettWheelerGlass
- GarrettWheelerGlass
Garrett was a featured artist in last year’s I Love Olander Day event. When asked how he got started in the glass business, he replied “No one better to work for than yourself. ” Garrett is the oldest of five siblings born in 1981 to the loving parents of Bob and Linda Wheeler. Growing up in Toledo, Ohio, he was surrounded by glass history, both artistic and industrial. His introductions to hot glass were annual school field trips to Libby Glass Factory and Sauder’s Farms. He watched these skilled gaffers in amazement as they effortlessly transformed the hot molten material into beautiful objects. Seeing those fascinating demonstrations stuck with him and he started seeking out more glass studios. Cedar Point, Greenfield Village, and the Toledo Botanical Gardens were the studios that he started visiting to learn more about the medium.
His first time touching hot glass was in the spring of 2000 when he enrolled in an introductory class at the Toledo Museum of Art. After that first dip in the furnace, he was hooked and wanting more. From that point on, he knew that studying and working with glass was going to be one wild journey that he never wanted to end. That following fall he enrolled at Bowling Green State University to pursue his bachelor of fine arts degree, focusing on glass art. Unknowingly he was in the presence of the best mentor that he ever had the opportunity to study under. Robert “Bud” Hurlstone created a nurturing learning environment that promoted the lifelong study of glass, teaching his students,, including Garrett, that glass is more than a hobby, it’s a way of life.
See more of his work and shop GarrettWheeler Glass via his website at www.garrettwheelerglass.com, or his Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/garrettwheelerglass
Featured Artist – September 8
Co.Curated by Colleen Yappueying
Handcrafted Polymer Clay Earrings
- Co.Curated
- Co.Curated
- Co.Curated
- Co.Curated
Co.Curated was founded in 2014 by Colleen (Co) Yappueying, arts professional with a background in executive arts and product design management. In 2019, She relocated back to her hometown and beloved Toledo, Ohio, and began revamping the brand. She started making polymer clay earrings as a way to further explore her passion for art and design and reignite her own practice as an artist. She currently focuses on shape, abstraction, and blurring the line between art and craft.
See more examples of her beautiful work and contact Colleen for purchase at:
- Website (preferred method): www.co-curated.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/co.curated.design
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/co.curated
Step Up & Park It this September at TOPS! Are you ready to step up to the challenge?
Your Step Up & Park It Challenge is:
- Run, Walk, Roll – 30 miles in September
- Visit 4 of 5 TOPS parks
- Try 5 healthy lifestyle tips & tricks
Complete the challenge and win a prize!
Click the link below to download your copy of the log. Forms will also be available in the Callahan Administrative Office and in the Info Box outside of the Nederhouser Community Hall. Don’t forget to register at OLANDER.RECDESK.COM.
Register by September 20 to be eligible for a prize. You MUST be registered to be eligible for the prize. Turn in your log by October 31 at the Callahan Administrative Office.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR LOG!
The Game is on! Click HERE for all the details on solving this mystery!
Spread a little kindness & connect with the community!
The TOPS letter-writing campaign continues this fall! We will continue collecting cards, letters, and pictures throughout the month and distributing them to seniors & residents living in Sylvania nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospices, and senior centers. Each month we will offer a topic, but your letters, pictures, and cards can be about anything.
September Theme – Love Your Parks! Share a story about your favorite park. Write it in a letter or card, or draw a picture.
Items will be collected throughout the month of September. Please follow the helpful tips on our website when making your contribution.
Where to drop off your items? Letters can be dropped off at the Olander Park Front Gate when there is an attendant present. If there is no attendant present, please drop off your item(s) in the dropbox at the Callahan Administrative Office on the east side of Olander Park.
Coloring pages are available for download here. For those without a printer, copies are available outside of the Nederhouser Community Hall front doors.
If you are interested in becoming a pen pal with one individual and receiving items in return, please email programs@olanderpark.com for more information.
We know physical distancing is important for public health right now, but our elders and those living in assisted living facilities need to feel supported. We all need a way to connect and fight the loneliness we may be feeling. We’re not all Shakespeare, but we can all make something beautiful for ourselves and others by putting pen to paper.
Check out all the information at www.olanderpark.com/virtualprograms/heart2heart