Oxford Township Parks & Recreation

Phil Castonia, Director of Oxford Township Parks and Recreation, oversees an expansive system that serves both the township and the village. The department maintains four distinct parks, each offering something special for residents of all ages. Seymour Lake Township Park is the most familiar and is home to many of the community’s favorite amenities. Powell Lake Park, located next to the library, features a walking trail and a playground. Stony Lake Park on Lapeer Road includes a beach, boat launch, and three picnic pavilions. Oakwood Lake Township Park stretches across 300 acres of natural landscape on Oakwood Road and includes miles of trails and an 18 hole disc golf course.

Seymour Lake Township Park is the heart of the system and is packed with activities and facilities. Phil describes it from front to back. The community room and senior center sit near the entrance, followed by tennis and pickleball courts and the popular Kids Kingdom playground. Nearby are the Davis Family Farmers Market Pavilion and Hana’s Garden, a memorial in honor of Hana St. Juliana. The park also includes four softball fields, three pavilions, another 18 hole disc golf course, two sledding hills, four baseball fields, six or seven premier soccer fields, and a fourteen acre multiuse soccer complex. Weather permitting, there is an ice rink during the winter months, along with an additional playground. The splash pad is another well loved feature during the warmer seasons.

Beyond the parks themselves, the department offers a full slate of recreation programs. Phil explains that they provide youth athletics, youth enrichment, adult athletics, adult enrichment, and senior programs that include fitness, health and wellness, tai chi, yoga, and dance. “If we have the space and the facility to offer it and we have an instructor, we will offer it,” he says. They are always searching for new program ideas and ways to grow.

Their largest event is the Seymour Celebration, typically held the first weekend in June as school lets out. It features a four-day carnival, with two nights of fireworks and live music. New this year on Saturday afternoon will be a classic car cruise and car show along with a vintage bike show. Phil says these Saturday events will be held at the front of the park and will hopefully bring in even more visitors.

Oxford Township Parks and Recreation is also an active Chamber member. The team helps with the annual parade each year, and Phil jokes that moving from judging entries to pulling Santa’s float feels like an upgrade in responsibility. Staff rotate through Chamber events, with Recreation Supervisor Dawn Medici attending many of the Coffee Connects and mingles. The department has even hosted Coffee Connects on site. Phil notes that while they are not a traditional business, they value the Chamber for the connections it creates. Many collaborations, instructors, and ideas have grown directly from conversations at Chamber events.

Oxford Township Parks and Recreation continues to invest in programming, parks, and partnerships that build a stronger community. Whether residents come for a walk, a class, a game, or a celebration, there is always something happening in Oxford’s parks.

For more information, visit: https://oxparkrec.org/