The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will host a community meeting to discuss updates to the Auburn Valley Master Plan, including current and future recreational, residential and commercial developments that are part of the master plan area, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 17, at the Center for the Creative Arts in Yorklyn.

The division will present updates, plans and visual representations of trails, site developments, and residential and commercial projects. Attendees will also be able to view completed work, including new trails, a pavilion, a historic bridge replacement, new office and relocation of Gun Club Road from the flood plain. The public is invited to view the updates and speak with Division of Parks and Recreation staff as well as representatives from private developers at any time during the meeting.

The goals of the Master Plan are to clean up a contaminated watershed, expand public recreation opportunities, and create a vibrant and thriving community with residential, commercial and recreational aspects. Work has been ongoing for more than a decade and has included creation of Delaware’s 17th state park, Auburn Valley State Park, in a formerly industrial area.

To maintain COVID-19 safety, attendees should wear a mask and will circulate among stations with information about the master plan elements. The Center for the Creative Arts is located at 410 Upper Snuff Mill Row, Yorklyn.

In addition to the meeting, members of the public may view the master plan updates and submit comments at www.destateparks.com/AVSPmasterplan starting Sept. 17.

About DNREC

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov or Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov.

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YORKLYN – The third annual Yorklyn Day Festival, sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, will be held 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sunday, June 2 in Yorklyn. The event is a partnership between DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, the Center for Creative Arts, the Marshall Steam Museum, Yorklyn Pool, and Dew Point Brewing Co.

At the new Auburn Valley State Park, the Marshall Mansion and Marshall Steam Museum will be open from 12:30 – 4:30 p.m., with steam car and miniature train rides, and mansion tours. The Wilmington & Western Railroad’s Doodlebug train will be offering rides from Yorklyn to Hockessin and back. Representatives from DNREC will also be on hand to discuss the progress on revitalization of the former NVF site, as well as the new Marshall Family Bridge, the first in a series of repurposed historic iron-truss bridges brought from all over the country to serve community trail users at Auburn Valley State Park.

Activities are stationed in numerous areas, almost all within convenient walking distance to the new Auburn Valley State Parks trails. Food trucks will be on hand to serve a variety of culinary options. Festivities will also include live music, artisans, craft beer, vendors, and non-profit presenters.

Activity hubs will include:

• 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Cozy Quarters Farm pony rides
• 1 p.m. – Yorklyn Bridge Trail’s Kid Zone and Jungle John’s Dinosaur Show
• 2:30 p.m. – Live Reptile Show
• 3:30 p.m. – Conservation Connections’ free-flighted bird program

Other activities will include: the Juggling Hoffmans, nature presentations, and crafts; the Center for Creative Arts “Art Zone,” featuring live music, an artisans market and art sales, adult beverages, and children’s art activities; the “Dew Point Zone” with live music, lawn games, ping-pong, disc golf baskets, craft beer, and vendors; and Yorklyn Pool Pickle Ball demonstrations, with an opportunity to try your hand at this new craze.

Event parking is headquartered at H. B. Middle School, 735 Meeting House Road, Hockessin, DE 19707. School buses will transport visitors to and from the school to the event site every fifteen minutes, with smaller shuttle buses transporting throughout the activity areas. Handicapped parking on the event site is available at Yorklyn Bridge Trail, 1178 Yorklyn Road, Hockessin, DE 19707. Fees apply to all rides and the house tours.

More information is available at www.YorklynDay.org, on the Yorklyn Day Facebook page, or by calling the Auburn Valley State Park office at 302-729-4280.

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

YORKLYN – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation has announced that the Farm Lane Bridge and Auburn Valley trail in Yorklyn will be closed for construction from Monday, August 20 to Tuesday, September 4. The bridge and trail will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians.

The work is necessary to prepare abutments and piers for a new bridge. Trail visitors are encouraged to use the Yorklyn Bridge and Oversee Farm trails during the construction period.

More information is available at AuburnHeights.org, at www.destateparks.com, or by contacting Laura Lee, Park Superintendent, Auburn Heights Preserve, at 302-729-4278.

YORKLYN – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation’s Auburn Heights Preserve takes visitors back in time to explore the age of steam as it hosts “Steamin’ Day,” 12:30 – 4:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 5, and continuing on the first Sunday of every month through November.

Visitors are invited to witness the dawn of the automotive age with a look inside the Marshall Steam Museum, which houses the largest collection of operating Stanley Steam cars in the world. During “Steamin’ Days,” the public can ride in the steam cars as well as on a one-eighth-sized operating railroad system encircling the property, see a live demonstration on how to “fire up” a steam engine, visit museum displays, take tours of the Auburn Heights mansion, and walk the trails that wind through the preserve and the town of Yorklyn.

Visitors can learn more about steam cars and their connection to the Marshall family during tours of the mansion that was home to three generations of the influential family that donated the Queen Anne Victorian mansion, land and the museum to the Division in 2008.

Tickets range from $8 – $19, depending on amenities. More information is available at AuburnHeights.org , at destateparks.com, or by contacting Aaron Ferguson, Auburn Heights Preserve interpretive programs manager, at 302-239-5687.

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902