Minooka Park will remain open Friday from 9 a.m. until dusk.

The Thanksgiving holiday will not change the park’s schedule this weekend, Park Ranger Mark Alexander announced. The park is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the aforementioned times.

“I would imagine some guys would be looking for a place to get away from all the shopping and the craziness of Black Friday,” Alexander said. “Kids will be out of school, and they might want to come to the park to get out for a while.”

Crowds have picked up since the summer months because fall is an ideal time for ATV and dirt bike riders to hit the trails. Also, attendance has seen a boost from people who normally ride at hunt clubs during the summer but had to stop when hunting season began.

“Fall and spring are going to be our best months,” Alexander said. “For real serious riders, it won’t get too cold because they get hot when they’re riding hard.”

A few people camped at the park this past weekend, and the fish in Minooka Lake are reportedly still biting.

“As long as it’s not freezing cold and the sun comes up, you can catch some fish,” Alexander said.

Minooka is open year-round on the weekends but eventually plans to open during the week.

The park will host a Holiday Poker Run on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The gates will still open at 9 that morning.

The object of the game is to ride along the trails and pick up markers from different stations. Markers are exchanged for playing cards, and whoever has the best hand wins the most money.

Cash prizes will be awarded at 3:30 p.m. on the day of the Run. For more information, call (205) 312-1116 or (205) 312-1376.