Fall 2021


Message from the Director
While there’s still some summer left to enjoy at Otter Cove Aquatic Park or Swanson Pool, autumn’s approach turns our thoughts to the arrival of fall fun days with a variety of new events and programs for all ages and interests.
Adults Only Events

Enjoy a leisurely stroll admiring the changes of season and exceptional sculptures in Mt. St. Mary Park while sampling delicious local libations at the Sip & Stroll on September 11. Listen to stories of years gone by as a tour guide leads you through the downtown streets of St. Charles on the Mystery History Walking Tour on October 7. Sip a margarita and snack on chips & salsa on the Pottawatomie veranda as you learn about the fantastic flight of the monarch butterfly then board the boat to find out more about the important role of the Fox River in the monarch's migration in Monarchs & Margaritas. Don’t care for margaritas? Bring your own libations to the BYOB Sunset Cruise on select Fridays through October. 

Commit to be fit at the Norris Recreation Center with NEW programs like Turkey Burn Bootcamp and Breathwalk. Make fur-ever friends while getting a low-impact workout by joining the Dog Walking Group. Earn bragging rights through a little competition in the Labor Day Weekend Round Robin Tennis Doubles Tournament.
Toddlers, Kids & Teens

Get a jump on early learning by enrolling your child in a Preschool program at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center or Pottawatomie Community Center. The Park District also offers classes for even the littlest ones in arts and crafts, science, music, fitness and sports.

Prepare for the hustle-and-bustle of the school year by enrolling your grade school child in Before the Bell and Baker Station child care programs. When school is not in session, the Park District also offers a No School Day program where kids participate in all-day activities and adventure trips.
 
Norris Recreation Center offers many NEW opportunities for kids ages 4-18 to improve their tennis skills and overall personal fitness in Pee Wees Tennis lessons, Sunday Fitness Sampler, and Pizza & Play. NRC also offers instruction to swimmers of all skill levels and interests through lessons, non-competitive swim training, swim team, springboard diving and water polo lessons.
Fall Family Farm Favorites

Primrose Farm is the place to be this fall! Celebrate the season with old-fashioned farmyard fun -- with historic demonstrations, straw mazes and tractor-drawn hayrides-- at the Farm Frolic on September 18. Bring the family back to the farm that night for a Barn Dance to usher in the harvest season with music, dancing and a bonfire.

Gather your group of family and friends in October to cruise around the fields at the height of the fall harvest on a 30-minute tractor-drawn wagon Autumn Hayride followed by making s’mores and visiting the farm animals! And NEW this year to the farm is the Haunted Hayride (ages 16+) for a bone-chilling experience.
Halloween Fun

Halloween never disappoints at the St. Charles Park District. Pack up the family for an evening cruise around St. Charles. Begin at Caravan to Candyland on Wednesday, October 27 in James O. Breen Community Park parking lot for kids to get their holiday sweets on the street of treats from the safety of your vehicle! Then drive by some of the spookiest houses in the Gallery of Ghoulish Homes Tour, viewable daily October 15-31. 

Dance off the sugar rush at one of the NEW Moonlight MASKerades and enjoy a magical evening of entertainment, dancing, dessert and more! Bring the whole family on November 12 to Family Fun Night or make it a Date Night with your special little one on November 13.
Fun Runs for Everyone!

The Amazing Race returns on Sunday, September 26. Here's an opportunity for teams to come together to compete in physical and mental challenges as they race around St. Charles performing tasks that require brainstorming, communication, strategy and teamwork! The Mummy Mile Fun Run challenges all ages to morph into a mummy with arms and legs stretched out.

And NEW this year is the Drumstick DASH 5K Fun Run & Walk, a chipped timed course for all ages featuring various terrain including gravel, grass, and a paved trail. Prizes will be awarded at all events! 
Fun in the Parks

This September, explore many St. Charles parks and facilities while playing Park Poker. Delnor Woods Park, a native oak-hickory woodland with century-old trees and a dam with a small waterfall, is exceptionally beautiful in the fall. A NEW adventure begins on Sunday, October 10 with Trick or Tree. Use the provided clues to find specific trees to learn some fun facts about them. You might even encounter a “trick” tree along the way! 

James O. Breen Community Park has something for everyone--even the family pet. Bring your pooch to the dog park and check out the new pickleball and basketball courts. The disc golf course across the street is always ready for friendly competition.
Check out the Fall 2021 Activity Guide for opportunities to learn new skills and explore the natural world in our community.

To keep updated on all District activities, check out the District's hive of information: The Buzz
Enriching Your Life!