Things to do in Kalamazoo Saturday: Chemistry Day at the museum, a Portage Monster Mash and a free day at a new county preserve

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Three free outings fill Saturday, Oct. 17, around Kalamazoo, from hands-on chemistry downtown to a costume party and outdoor movie in Portage.

Chemistry Day. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 N. Rose St., and the Kalamazoo Section of the American Chemical Society present this year’s Chemistry Day, “Chemistry Under Construction,” from noon to 4 p.m., the museum says. Local chemistry enthusiasts lead hands-on activities and demonstrations for learners of all ages. Admission is free. The museum’s calendar also lists a free Laboratory Mayhem activity in its Innovation Lab from noon to 3 p.m., aimed at ages 5 and up with no registration, and 1 and 2 p.m. showings of “Elements in Orbit,” a planetarium show about chemistry in space. A day earlier, the museum hosts Illustrated Muse(ings), a free session of artists creating work in real time, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday in its Stryker Theater.

Monster Mash. Ramona Park & Beach, 8600 S. Sprinkle Road in Portage, hosts a free Monster Mash from 3 to 7 p.m., according to its NowKalamazoo listing. Plans include Halloween decorations, a hayride on a spooky trail, family-friendly magic shows, pumpkin-carving demonstrations, a DJ and food trucks, and costumes are encouraged. Around dusk, the park shows “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” drive-in style. Cars can start parking for the movie at 5:30 p.m., first come, first served. No registration is required.

Woollam Nature Preserve. The Arthur E. and Mildred H. Woollam Nature Preserve, 6278 Texas Drive, opens for a Fall Free Day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., its listing says. Visitors can hike the trails and tour the nature center at what the listing calls the newest county park. Fall crafts for kids and refreshments run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Check with organizers before you go for any changes in timing or weather plans.

Sources:
Kalamazoo Valley Museum, “Chemistry Day 2026!,” accessed Oct. 15, 2026, https://kalamazoomuseum.org/full-calendar/chemistry-day-2026
Kalamazoo Valley Museum, “Special Events” calendar, accessed Oct. 15, 2026, https://kalamazoomuseum.org/full-calendar/special-events
NowKalamazoo, “Monster Mash and ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Drive-in Movie at Ramona Park,” accessed Oct. 15, 2026, https://nowkalamazoo.org/event/monster-mash-and-star-wars-the-mandalorian-and-grogu-drive-in-movie-at-ramona-park/
NowKalamazoo, “Woollam Nature Preserve Fall Free Day,” accessed Oct. 15, 2026, https://nowkalamazoo.org/event/woollam-nature-preserve-fall-free-day/
Photo: Joe Ross, “Entrance to Kalamazoo Valley Museum 133 (6780381372) (2).jpg,” Feb. 20, 2012, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/), cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Entrance_to_Kalamazoo_Valley_Museum_133_(6780381372)_(2).jpg

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Tags: Kalamazoo · Michigan Travel · Kalamazoo Valley Museum · Chemistry Day · Portage · Halloween