Siouxland Families

  Every month I bring you the best things to do in Sioux City and Siouxland, from storytimes and crafts to music festivals, streaming concerts, and holidays from silly to serious. This month, some of the highlights include Fall Fest and Halloween . It's also a great month to visit our local apple orchard  and pumpkin patches !  I hope this event list inspires you to go make some happy memories with your family this month! Fri 10/1 6-8pm: Pumpkin Mandala Painting workshop at Pickled Palette Sat 10/2 7:30-9am: Fall Migrant Songbird Hike at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, FREE, pre-register by calling 712-258-0838 or camps@woodburyparks.org 9am to noon: Mayor's Trail Ride with special fun at the Siouxland Expo Center, Anderson Dance Pavilion, and Riverside Park, $10 per person or $30 per person. Register online or by calling Sioux City Parks & Rec at (712)279-6126 9:30-11:30am: Bird Identification Program: Raptors of Iowa at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, FREE,  Regi

It's time for National Museum Day! If you love museums, you won't want to miss out on this fun opportunity to find a new favorite, or check out a museum you've been curious about but deterred from visiting by the admission fees! Here's how: What is Museum Day? On Museum Day, museums across the nation celebrate history and learning by offering free admission through tickets available on the Museum Day website! National Museum Day is organized by the Smithsonian Museum. When is Museum Day? Museum Day 2021 is on Saturday, September 18th, 2021. Most participating museums will have normal hours for a Saturday in fall on that day, but check with the specific venue you're visiting for the best info! What Museums are participating in Museum Day 2019? You can find the full list of participating museums on the Smithsonian Museum Day website, but some of the museums within a few hours of Sioux City who are offering free admission on Museum Day 2021 but aren'

*Now updated for Halloween 2021* Siouxland rocks at Halloween. We've got everything from kid-friendly trunk-or-treat events and craft projects to a possibly-haunted former asylum that will terrify even teens. And as 2021 dates and details are released for more Halloween events in Sioux City and our neighboring communities, I'll try to include them all here! So bookmark this page and check back anytime you want to know where to celebrate this season, whether you're looking for spooky or sweet! Please keep in mind that things may change especially quickly this year, so please stay flexible and patient as everyone tries to find the right balance of caution and fun. Table of Contents Pumpkin Patches Events in Sioux City Trunk-or-Treats in Sioux City Events in Sioux Falls Events & Trunk-or-Treats in other Siouxland Communities Halloween Road Trips Trick-or-Treat in Siouxland 2021 There are no ordinances setting or restricting trick-or-trea

Did you know Ponca, Nebraska hosts the Midwest's biggest outdoor expo? This September you could be one of the 50k+ people who visit Siouxland's Ponca State Park to take part in the 90+ activities available! When is the Missouri River Outdoor Expo? The expo happens every September, usually the third weekend. Saturday and Sunday are open to the public, while Friday is dedicated to school field trips. The 2021 expo is on Saturday and Sunday September 18th and 19th, from 9am to 5pm, with school day happening Friday, September 17th, 2021.  Where is the Missouri River Outdoor Expo? The Missouri River Outdoor Expo takes place at Ponca State Park in Ponca, Nebraska. The park is about 25 miles or 32 minute drive from downtown Sioux City. There is ample free parking at Ponca State Park, and admission to the Expo itself is free, but like all Nebraska State Parks, a valid park entry pass is required and is not free. Daily passes ($6 per vehicle for N

***UPDATE: this post now reflects dates, hours, and prices for 2021*** It's officially apple picking season in Sioux City!! Autumn Grove Orchard just announced that they are opening for the 2021 season on Saturday, August 28th from noon to 4pm, and that they should have Macintosh, Gala, and Honeycrisp apples ready! What is Autumn Grove Orchard? Autumn Grove Orchard is Sioux City's only pick-your-own apple orchard. Autumn Grove is locally owned by a Sioux City family and grows 9+ varieties of apples, which are available to pick as they ripen throughout the fall. They also offer honey from a local beekeeper, and a variety of baked goods and crafts for sale, and even some pumpkins near the end of the season! Where is Autumn Grove Orchard? Autumn Grove Orchard is at 1658 180th Street in Sioux City, just a few minutes past the Lakeport Commons shopping area and Fleet Farm. There is free parking at the orchard. If the parking area is full, just pull over along the

I love outdoor art, from sculptures to murals and even colorful graffiti, and there's a surprising amount in the Siouxland area! If you can't resist posing in front of a trendy mural, love digging into the history of an old store logo, are inspired by statues that draw your eyes to the skies, and smile when you see funky spray paint designs in a surprising place, here's where to look in Sioux City, Sioux Falls, and other Siouxland communities:   Outdoor Art in Sioux City  Trinity Heights Trinity Heights on Sioux City's North Side showcases a wide variety of Catholic religious art, including 30-foot tall statues of Mary and Jesus made of steel by artist Dale Lamphere (who also created Dignity of Earth and Sky in Chamberlain, SD.) For more information, check out my post about visiting Trinity Heights . Downtown Sculpture Series The Sioux City Art Center has a large collection of outdoor sculptures, and while some are on display on the museum grounds, many others are place

Late summer in the midwest can mean high temps and high humidity, and those are the perfect conditions for some intense storms! While we can't control nature, there are some things we can do to help keep our families safe in a storm. I got to chat a bit with Ashley Ware, an insurance expert with 17 years of experience, who is now the CFO of  $ Aware , a claims consulting business in the Kansas City metro area. She's also a proud mother of 3, and Ashley and her husband have spent many storms in the basement with their own kids. Based on her advice and some other tips from around the web, here's how parents can plan for those thunderstorms that tend to come with high winds, and sometimes hail and even tornadic activity: Stay informed Watch for storm predictions from local weather. While many storms fizzle out or aren't a big deal, keep an eye for the ones that look like they are likely to be big problems so you aren't caught by surprise. Some of the best resources for