Summer Fun

UPDATED 6-3-08:

MAY: 

• Pella Tulip Time (Pella) – May 1, 2, 3
• Shopping on Ice (CoralRidge Mall) – May 2, 3  http://www.theicm.org/
• Bike Safety Rodeo (Muscatine Hy-Vee) – May 3 10am -2 pm
• HNI 5K Run/Walk (Muscatine Riverfront) – May 3 8am
• Iowa Renaissance Festival (Amana Colonies) – May 3,4
• Maifest (Amana Colonies) – May 3, 4
• Relay for Life (Muscatine) – May 16
• Muscatine Boat Show – May 17th…Fireworks 9:30
• Library Patron Day (Muscatine) – May 17th, Tattoos from 10-noon
• Wilton Smorgasboard (Wilton) – May 20 
• **Snake Alley Criterium (Burlington) – May 23, 24
• Friday Fest (Burlington) – May 23
• Liberty Center Blues & BBQ (North Liberty) – May 25 (Live Music, Petting Zoo, Fishing, Bounce House, & More)
• Family Free Night (Coralridge Mall) – May 30 (free carousel, free admission to Iowa Children’s Museum, free ice skating and free kids meal)

JUNE:

• Gumbo Ya Ya (Rock Island) – June 6 & 7 (Family Day on Saturday)
• Rhubarb Festival (Aledo) – June 6 & 7
• Blues Bugaloo (Burlington) – June 7
• Kids Wild Festival (Niabi Zoo) – June 7 10am – 4pm
• Tanager Place Summer Fest (Cedar Rapids) – June 7 3:30 – 10:30pm
• A Night at the Drive In (West Burlington) – At Great River Medical Center – June 7
• Kids Triathalon (Muscatine YMCA) – June 7  10am; $12 
• British Soccer Camp (Muscatine) – June 9-13
• **Steamboat Days (Burlington) – June 10 – 15
• North Liberty Fun Days (North Liberty) – June 12 – 15
• Strawberry Days Festival (Strawberry Point) – June 13, 14, 15
• **Snake Alley Art Fair (Burlington) – June 15
• Summer Science Camp (Muscatine) – June 16 – 20
• Quad City Air Show (Davenport) – June 21, 22
• Princess Within Me Dance Camp (River City Allstars) – June 23 – 27
• Vacation Bible School – Various Churches around Muscatine
• Friday Fest (Burlington) – June 27

 JULY:

• Red, White & Boom (Rock Island/Davenport) – July 3 Fireworks over the Mississippi
• **Symphonic Blast (Burlington) – July 5 (Concert and fireworks overlooking the Mississippi in Crapo Park)
• Summer Math Camp (Muscatine) – July 7-11
• Friday Fest (Burlington) – July 11
• **Balloons Over the Mississippi (Fort Madison) – July 11, 12
• A Week in The 1830’s Summer Camp (Moline) – July 14 – 18
• **Muscatine County Fair (West Liberty) – July 16 – 20
• Des Moines County Fair (Burlington) – July 23 – 29
• **Great River Days (Muscatine) – July 25, 26, 27
• Wells Fargo Street Festival (Davenport) – July 25, 26
• Mississippi Valley Fair (Davenport) – July 29 – Aug 3

AUGUST:

• Friday Fest (Burlington) – August 1
• Spring Valley Bible Camp (Muscatine) – Kid’s Camp:  Aug 4, 5,6
• **Sweet Corn Festival (West Point) – August 7 – 10
• Iowa State Fair (Des Moines) – August 7 – 17
• Watermelon Stampede Against Diabetes/Kid’s Stampede (Muscatine) – August 15, 16
• Ya Maka My Weekend (Rock Island) – August 15, 16 (Island activities for children)
• Watermelon Festival (Montrose) – August 21, 22, 23
• Friday Fest (Burlington) – August 22
• Wilton Founders Day (Wilton) – August 24, 25
• **Old Threshers (Mt. Pleasant) – August 28 – September 1

SEPTEMBER:

• Friday Fest (Burlington) – September 5
• Durant Polka Fest (Durant) – September 6
• **Apple Daze (Donnellson) – September 20, 21 (Be sure to visit Kathy’s Pumpkin Patch!)
• Fort Madison Fall Festival (Fort Madison) – September 27, 28

OCTOBER:

• **Roger’s Pumpkin Patch (Lomax, IL) – Family Day – October 4 
• **Midwest Haunted Trails Ghost Train (Mt. Pleasant) – Oct 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31

RESTAURANT KID’S NIGHTS:

Applebees – Wednesdays – 99c Kids Meal
Fazoli’s – Tuesdays – 99c Kids Meal
Long John Silvers – Tuesdays – 99c Kids Meal

FUN THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS:

Anywhere:  Geocaching - It’s like a treasure hunt!  So fun!

Amana:  Wasserbahn – Waterpark
Blue Grass:  Camp Abe Lincoln - Swimming, Summer Camp Programs for kids
Burlington:  Fun City - Indoor/Outdoor Waterpark, Bowling, Video Arcade
Burlington:  Kenny’s Roller Ranch - rollerskating
Burlington:  Snake Alley - The crookedest street in the world. 
Burlington:  Burlington Bees Baseball - baseball
Burlington:  Lake Geode/Geode State Park - camping, hiking, swimming
Burlington:  Our Lady of Grace Grotto
Coal Valley:  Niabi Zoo
Columbus Junction:  Swinging Bridge
Coralville:  Coralville Lake - camping, hiking, swimming
Coralville:  Iowa Children’s Museum
Davenport:  Ferjervary Park
Donnellson:  Kathy’s Pumpkin Patch
Grandview:  Drive-In Movie Theater
Illinois City, IL:  Loud Thunder - camping, hiking, picnicking
Iowa City:  Saturday Night Free Movie Series - free movies
Iowa City:  Friday Night Concert Series
Iowa City:  Wilson’s Apple Orchard – Pick your own apple orchard with the best apple turnovers around.
Lomax, IL:  Rogers Pumpkin Patch
Muscatine:  Anderson Farm
Muscatine:  Aquatic Center
Muscatine:  Discovery Park - Arboretum, walking paths, trails, Environmental Learning Center
Muscatine:  Pla-mor Lanes - Bowling
Muscatine:  Spring Valley Bible Camp
Muscatine:  Wildcat Den State Park

VOLUNTEER TOGETHER:
*Visit a nursing home.  (Take along small trinkets (candy, pencils, stickers, etc) for the kids to hand out – it really helps them approach people if they have something to give.)
*Take trash bags and clean up a local park.
*Bake cookies for a neighbor.
*Make a child smile.  Mail cards, letters, gifts, crafts to children with life-threatening illnesses.
*Tie a fleece blanket together then donate it to Project Linus for a child.