New playgrounds, exercise equipment and a pickleball court are some of the new facilities coming next year to Cedar Brake Park in Montgomery as part of more than $700,000 in budgeted improvements.

Diving in deeper: Two playgrounds, one meant for kids ages 2-5 and another for kids ages 5-12, will be completely replaced. There’ll be new swings, slides, climbing elements, instruments to bang on and more accessible play features for children who use wheelchairs, according to Tim Duckworth, a sales associate for Cunningham Recreation who gave the presentation to the council.

Also on the agenda: The city council approved entering into an escrow agreement with Lowe’s Home Improvement, which is planning to acquire and develop land located between C.B. Stewart Drive and Buffalo Spring Road for a future store. The escrow agreement calls for Lowe’s to reimburse the city for any costs the latter incurs while overseeing development.

Several family-friendly events are scheduled in the Conroe and Montgomery area from Oct. 30-Nov. 1:

• Trunk or Treat at TLE Conroe: The Learning Experience Conroe will host a free-admission event on Oct. 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. featuring face painting, games and food.

• Kids 'R' Kids of Lake Conroe Trunk or Treat: This free-admission event on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. offers parents attending with a child aged 6 weeks to 12 years old entry into a raffle for one free week of tuition.

• Halloween Festival in Historic Downtown Montgomery: A free festival on Oct. 31 from 2-6 p.m. will feature games, costume contests, free food and trick-or-treating.

• Conroe's Incredible Pizza Cruise-in: A free community car show with no registration required will take place on Oct. 31 from 9 a.m.-noon.

• Garden Bros Nuclear Circus: The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center will host a traveling circus with stunts and games from Oct. 30-Nov. 1. Tickets cost $23.27-$47.19 for adults, and kids are free with an adult ticket.

The Montgomery County Food Bank hosted its inaugural Flourish & Nourish Ladies Luncheon on Oct. 22 at The Blue Magnolia in Magnolia. Presented by Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, the event brought together women from across Montgomery County to raise funds for hundreds of thousands of meals for people facing hunger this holiday season. The afternoon featured a fireside chat with chef, author and philanthropist Cat Cora. Brynn Huntsman provided a $25,000 matching gift for the event.

Quote of note: "Flourish & Nourish filled a room with women who care deeply about this community, and Cat Cora reminded all of us how a meal shared around the family table can shape a life," said Scott Burns, president and CEO of Montgomery County Food Bank.

The food bank's Holiday Helpings Food & Funds Drive will kick off Nov. 1 and run through the end of the year.