FRIDAY - SUNDAY

Sponsored by The Goddard School

Located at Lincoln Park, West Main St. between 4th and 5th Streets.

Additional children's activities sponsored by…

PARENTS -- AND GRANDPARENTS -- LOVE ALL THE FREE CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES AT RIVERFEST

     Each year you can count on Pride of the Fox RiverFest for much more than a community festival with two stages of continuous free entertainment and four other activity sites. It always comes up with inventive, engaging, educational, mind-expanding and, yes, fun activities for kids.

     From a tub of shelled corn that tickles toddlers’ tootsies to the kick bigger kids get from a Tae Kwon Do experience, Lincoln Park is filled with a seemingly endless variety of activities and shows for kids.

     New in Lincoln Park is the Around Town Entertainment Clown School, with five free classes each day: 11:30 and 3:30 Magic Tricks; 12:30 and 4:30 Balloon Twisting and 5:30 Clown Makeup. Also new is It’s a Girl Thing, which treats the young ones to free mini make-overs.

     From 11 a.m. daily Friday through Sunday, Lincoln Park is home to RiverFest’s Fantasy Face Art, sponsored by Colonial Ice Cream. These extraordinary Cirque du Soleil-style transformations are free, but they’re governed by a ticket distribution three times a day, so get there early (11 a.m., 12:45 and 3:45 p.m.). Often, watching the face-painting is as heart-warming for the parents (or grandparents) as it is fanciful for the kids on the receiving end. Colonial also will sponsor an ice cream eating contest in two age divisions for kids (and one for adults) at Noon Friday (registration at 11:30 a.m.).

    Other features of the site are the Goddard School Children’s Theater, presenting five shows daily, three by Magical Mr. Ash sponsored by Meijer, plus Earthkeepers and a Jungle Safari Show sponsored by Fifth Third Bank; a Toddler Driving Safety School, sponsored by Delnor Hospital; Do-It-Yourself-Picasso art activity, sponsored by the Kane County Chronicle; a Tae Kwon Do Experience by Master Bill Cho’s Black Belt Club students (kids are dressed in the uniform, and taught basic lessons); costumed characters to “meet and greet” youngsters, sponsored by All Dressed Up of Batavia; and the Gazebo Stage with continuous entertainment.

     Chris Buik’s mind-expanding Jungle Safari shows incorporate live animals – spiders, snakes, iguanas – and some props (bats, sharks) to bring to life every kid’s imagination during her safari. Mr. Ash is an Illinois winner of the Wizard of the Year award for entertaining excellence.

     Fun (but not free) in Lincoln Park are a climbing wall, inflatables, petting zoo and pony rides. Even the Carnival in Old St. Charles has a special section of kiddie rides. The carnival – both the kiddie rides and thrill rides for bigger kids and adults – opens Thursday before RiverFest with $18 unlimited ride specials between 1 and 5 p. m. Thursday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday; click here to go to the Carnival page and print out a $2 discount coupon for the unlimited ride special.

     Delnor Hospital’s Toddler Driving Safety School puts youngsters ages 2 to 5 on Step2 ride-on toy cruisers, pedal coupes, tractors, motorcycles and fire engines. The toddlers learn proper left and right turns, backing maneuvers, and even how to parallel park. Depending on how well they listen to their instructors (parents), they are rewarded with their very first driver’s license or learner permits.

     Over at City Hall, transformed into "St. Charles Beach" for the weekend, is the 40-ton fantasy sand sculpture, sponsored by Y103.9, a giant sandbox and toys, and Turtle Races, sponsored by Critters Pet Store. The giant sand box has proven to be a veritable magnet for youngsters of all ages, who play all day and well into the evening. Also located here are Touch & Go Chess games and Express Toys’ activities, including beading, a bean bag toss and more.

     In addition to all the participatory free activities for kids, RiverFest also programs shows that kids will enjoy along with their parents – Water Ski Shows, sponsored by Press-Republican Newspapers, featuring the three-time national champions from the Wonder Lake (IL) Ski Club, at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday off the shores of Pottawatomie Park – thrilling jumpers, barefoot skiers, fast boats, comedy acts and multi-tiered pyramids. Also in Pottawatomie Park are the CanineCapers Entertainments, sponsored by Fox Valley Volkswagen. Shows include Jack Russell Terrier races, Agility-style Obstacle Match Races and freestyle frisbee with world champion dogs and trainers and lots of audience participation. There will be five shows on Saturday (Noon, 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m.) and four on Sunday (Noon, 2, 3 and 4 p.m.).

     Youngsters ages 6 – 17 have their own day at the RiverFest Idol Search from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday on the Harris Riverside Stage. Registration is at 12:30 p.m. with performers taking the stage in order of their registration.