SUNY Oswego again opens its doors and opportunities to the community during Cruisin’ the Campus from Dec. 26 through Jan. 19. 

The variety of family-friendly activities will include events at Rice Creek Field Station, Laker athletic contests, open skating, open recreation and more.

Rice Creek Field Station and its adjacent Fallbrook trails invite nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and anyone looking for some fresh air for hikes between dawn and dusk every day. For those interested in guided walks, the popular Rice Creek Rambles will take place at 11 a.m. on two Saturdays, Dec. 30 and Jan. 14, with optional use of snowshoes depending on weather. A pair of Junior Naturalist walks, particularly created for children, will take place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7.

In addition, the Rice Creek building will host two Family Nature Art sessions, offering crafty fun for families, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 29 and 30.

In January during Cruisin’ the Campus, the field station building and lower parking lot will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. All Rice Creek activities are free of charge to attend. For more information on these and other activities, visit the Rice Creek website.

Lakers in action

Laker athletic teams will offer indoor entertainment on the ice and the hardwoods.  

For the Best Western Clarion Oswego State Hockey Classic, the nationally ranked Laker men’s hockey team will play St. Anselm at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30. The NCAA Division III defending champions from Adrian College will face Williams at 4 p.m. that day. The next day, Dec. 31, will feature Oswego playing at 4 p.m. against an opponent to be determined by the previous day’s results, with the other two teams tilting at 1 p.m. The Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall will host all the action, with tickets available via tickets.oswego.edu.

The same location also will host three games by the nationally ranked Laker women’s hockey team, at 5 p.m. Jan. 3 vs. Amherst College; 7 p.m. Jan. 6 vs. Potsdam; and 3 p.m. Jan. 7 vs. Canton. Admission for these games are free, thanks to sponsorship by Oswego Health.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams will be in action in Laker Hall’s Max Ziel Gymnasium for contests on Jan. 6 and 7. The Jan. 6 matchups vs. Buffalo State, in partnership with the City of Oswego and City-County Youth Bureau, are on Youth Basketball Night with 100 free tickets for children available first-come first-served via contacting the youth bureau at 315-349-3451. For the event, which also will feature free T-shirts, autograph sessions and more, the women’s team will tip at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men’s team at 7:30 p.m. 

On Jan. 7, the Laker women’s and men’s basketball teams will take on Geneseo at 2 and 6 p.m., respectively. Tickets for all of the above games are available at tickets.oswego.edu.

Recreational activities

The Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall will host popular community open skating programs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 27; 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 16; and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on both Jan. 17 and 19. Cost will be $3 for admission and $3 if attendees need skate rental.

In addition, Lee Hall will host open recreation from noon to 4 p.m. Dec 26 to 30. Basketballs will be available to use during these free sessions. Attendees are asked to bring dry sneakers.

To exercise minds of all ages, Penfield Library will open its doors to the community – offering books and media for all ages – weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the break (except for holiday-related closures on Dec. 26, Jan. 2 and Jan. 16).

Those looking for official SUNY Oswego gear, collectibles and more can visit the College Store in Marano Campus Center from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 30; 2 to 6 p.m. Dec. 31; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Jan. 2 to 20.

For all of these events, children under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian at all times for the duration of the program.

Due to an initiative to save energy during winter break, some facilities might have lower temperatures than usual, so visitors should plan and dress accordingly.

For a full list of Cruisin’ the Campus events, visit calendar.oswego.edu/cruisin-the-campus.