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Message from the Director
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As we step into the warmer months ahead, the St. Charles Park District is eager to provide a multitude of recreational pursuits and celebratory events that unite friends, family and our community in the spirit of fun and camaraderie!
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Party in the Parks All Summer Long
Did you know that St. Charles is named the Pickle Capital of the World? Pickle Paradise will be a dill-icious party in the park to relish in the tangy delights of summer. Enjoy DJ entertainment, trivia with the St. Charles History Museum, pickle riddles and puns, pickle selfie stations and yard games. Purchase refreshments from local food trucks, tickle your taste buds in the Pickle Patch sampling pickle-related products from local business and sip on Dilly Delights, pickle-inspired beverages from local breweries. Run the Dill Dash in the park or play mixed-doubles in the Big Dill Pickleball Tournament!
Get ready to play during free PARK Play Dates! An early childhood staff member will meet you at a different park every other Saturday this summer. Families welcome to just show up for some fun. This new activity is a great way to discover the diverse parks in St. Charles.
Prepare for a summer of bike riding in Let’s Ride! Safe & Smart Bicycling. Learn bike safety tips, review road rules and riding with others. Meet in the Sportsplex parking lot and enjoy a group ride to Timber Trails new playground and back after instruction provided by Ride Illinois.
Get Stuck on Parks collecting stickers from your favorite St. Charles Park District facilities. Purchase a water bottle at Pottawatomie Community Center after June 1 and spend the summer venturing to some or all of the District’s 12 facilities to collect a unique sticker from each to adorn your water bottle.
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Summer Favorites for FREE!
Enjoy live summer entertainment at the popular weekly Concerts in the Park every Thursday in Lincoln Park. Unplug and listen to cover songs & original Acoustic Jams Tuesdays in Mt. St. Mary Park. Bring a blanket and view a movie under the stars at the Movies in the Park for a family-friendly Friday evening in beautiful Pottawatomie Park.
Celebrate Independence Day with July 4th Fireworks launched from Langum Park, with best views from Langum and Mt. St. Mary Parks. However, a big red balloon will be displayed above Langum Park around noon—if you can see this balloon, you will have a great view of the fireworks at dark! There will be music and food trucks at both parks that evening to add to the celebration.
Another must-see experience in St. Charles every summer is the engaging Sculpture in the Park exhibit. The landscape of Mt. St. Mary Park presents a striking and engaging sculpture exhibition against the backdrop of nature’s seasonal beauty, now year-round! Join us July 19 at 5 pm for an Artist’s Reception to meet the artists from all over the country who share their talents with the St. Charles community.
The Big Truck Show is a family favorite for a rare chance to view the inner workings of the trucks, cars and tractors that are usually only viewed from a distance. Bring your camera and click away as you explore emergency vehicles, dump trucks and tractors!
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Water Fun For Everyone
Get ready for a splashtastic summer at one or both of the District’s aquatic facilities, opening May 25! The Crosstown Aquatics All Access Pass is the best value to get access to both Swanson Pool and Otter Cove Aquatic Park all summer long. Purchase your passes online or in person.
Otter Cove Aquatic Park, located in James O. Breen Community Park, is the larger aquatic facility with diving, lap swim, drop slides, toddler pool & slide, activity pool, racer slide, turbo freefall slide, body slide, tube slide, lazy river, splash park, sand play area, sand volleyball and concession stand. The STC Otters is a recreational swim team for all skill levels, ages 6-16, where swimmers improve their skills while building confidence participating in weekly swim meets.
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Farm Education Center Update
The construction of the new Education Center at Primrose Farm is moving along nicely. Last spring, foundation footings were set, girders were erected, walls were constructed and concrete floors were poured.
By fall, the building will become the fully accessible, year-round facility. The building will include a large multipurpose programming area and kitchenette, public flushable restrooms, staff offices and an entry plaza. Staff plan to broaden the program offerings for all ages about agriculture and the history of local farming, as well as provide interactive opportunities such as food preservation techniques, farm to table demonstrations, STEM curriculum and agricultural heritage opportunities.
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Summer Fun for Kids
Ready to get your kids out of the house and into safe and fun summer camps? The St. Charles Park District offers a variety of experiences for kids of all ages!
Flex Camp and STC Camp meet in Pottawatomie Park and are led by counselors trained in CPR & First Aid with experience working with children entering kindergarten through fifth grade. Each week offers new activities such as lively group games, arts & crafts, science experiments, minigolf, walking field trips and water fun! Campers can even sign up for swim lessons during camp hours (swim lesson fees apply).
Teen Camp (entering grades 6-8) meets weekly at the STC Underground in the Baker Community Center for local & regional day trips like Top Golf, Starved Rock State Park, Brookfield Zoo, arts & crafts, sports & games, minigolf, pool visits, movies, farm days & more!
Nature Camps provide unique outdoor education that encourages children to enjoy, respect and learn about our natural world. Weekly sessions are available for children as young as 2 (with adult) through age 18, with each session providing new content and experiences.
Sports Camps are another fun way to get your kids moving and learning new skills! Flag Football and Basketball Skills camps are new offerings this summer, with classes for the preschoolers as well as elementary age kids. Campers will improve their skills while they learn the fundamentals of the sport, teamwork and sportsmanship. Other camp offerings include Total Sports Camp, Golf Camp, Developmental Soccer Camp, Lacrosse Camp, Beach Volleyball Camp and Soccer Skills Camp!
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A Visit to Pottawatomie Park
Enjoy new cruise offerings aboard a Paddlewheel Riverboat, departing from Pottawatomie Park. Learn about local history during a History Sunday Cruise the last Sunday of every month, led by a docent from the St. Charles History Museum. Be transported to a bygone era, where the echoes of the Jazz Age come to life aboard a Roaring River Cruise. Embrace island life and sway to the rhythm of the river with a tropical Tiki Tuesday cruise. Learn fishing tactics while immersing yourself in the tranquility of the Fox River on the Fishing on the Fox cruise. New this year are $10 Tuesday Tickets!
Swanson Pool offers fun amenities such as the zero-depth entry activity pool, lap swim, diving boards, lily pad rope walk, drop slides, waterslide, sand play area and concession stand. Swim lessons are offered in groups, private & semi-private for ages 6 months to 12 years. Daily admission rates are $8 for residents and twilight and lap swim rates are available, too.
After drying off at Swanson Pool, head over to River View Miniature Golf featuring a multitude of obstacles set along the beautiful Fox River. Putt-N-Save Days are daily specials that offer extra value to your round of minigolf, such as Grandparents Day on Thursdays when for each round of minigolf purchased at the regular price for one grandchild, a grandparent may play for free!
Pottawatomie Park also offers regulation sized golf at Pottawatomie Golf Course, a 9-hole course that is also a certified Audubon Sanctuary. Season passes, weekday passes, punch passes and daily green fees are all options to pay to play on the most beautiful golf course in the Fox Valley.
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To keep updated on all District activities, check out the District's hive of information: The Buzz | |
Conversations are always welcome! Contact Director Holly Cabel via email or call: 630-584-1055 | | | | |
