Spring is finally here, which means families can get outside and enjoy the weather. There are many fun things to do together this time of year, like going on a picnic, exploring nature, or riding bikes. Tom Kadlec Kia created this list of enjoyable spring activities in the Rochester, Minnesota, area to help your family get out there and make some memories.
Quarry Hill Park and Nature Center
Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash
Quarry Hill Park is a 329-acre park with several miles of hiking and biking trails. Families can visit the park to watch birds, go fossil hunting, or explore the sandstone Quarry Hill Cave. A playground and open play area provide plenty of space for children to run and exercise those large motor skills. Older kids can enjoy a game of baseball, basketball, or horseshoes. The park has a picnic shelter perfect for a hearty lunch on a warm sunny day.
Visit the Quarry Hill Nature Center at the park to discover 35 species of live animals. The Nature Center also contains a giant aquarium full of fish and marine animals. You can attend informative programs to learn more about mesmerizing creatures or other ecological topics. The center offers day camps, excursions, and various educational activities for children and adults alike.
Visitors can borrow various nature equipment for day use, including binoculars or a GPS that leads to Quarry Hill’s four geocaches. Kids can also check out the center’s Discovery Packs, stuffed with maps, games, and tools for exploring the park. The Nature Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Park hours are dawn to dusk, and admission is free for both the park and nature center.
Rochesterfest
Start your summer fun at Rochesterfest, the city’s annual week-long celebration. The community festival begins with breakfast at the farm and continues throughout the week. Join the family-friendly 5k run/walk or attend the evening blacklight run for a more adventurous race. Enjoy other popular family events like a movie in the park or the ice cream social. Kids love the magic show, and parents can test their wits at the game show or trivia night. The video game tournament guarantees that even teenagers will have fun participating in the festivities.
The festival features dozens of food vendors, daily live entertainment, and events. Attendees can try to win big at the Million Dollar Hole in One golf shootout. The celebration wraps up with a classic car show and a retro baseball game. Mark your calendars now so your family can attend as many of the Rochesterfest events as possible.
Thursdays Downtown
Every Thursday from June 16 until August 18, downtown Rochester hosts the weekly street festival known as Thursdays Downtown. Walk the cordoned-off streets lined with vendor booths featuring an eclectic assortment of clothing, jewelry, and home decor items. You’ll also be able to find fresh produce and baked goods at several booths. Sample a wide variety of fair-style food and drinks, from standard corn dogs or brats to specialty fish tacos. Live musicians also perform on two dedicated stages throughout the day during this popular community event.
Roca Climbing and Fitness
When the family needs something fun to do on one of those rainy spring days, head over to Roca Climbing and Fitness for an exciting day of adventure. The main gym features walls with climbs at all difficulty levels. If you’re a first-time rock climber, check out the separate instruction area with simpler climbs. There are also two slides for kids and instructors nearby to help provide tips. Advanced climbers won’t get bored, however; they can visit the red carpet area with a competition lead wall or conquer a free-standing boulder.
The facility also features a fitness area and a yoga studio hosting multiple daily yoga classes. Visitors to the center can purchase a day pass, a punch card, or a monthly or annual membership.
Rochester Honkers Baseball
This summer, bring the family to Mayo Field to catch a Rochester Honkers baseball game. The amateur team is a member of the Northwoods League, the largest collegiate baseball league in the U.S. The stadium is clean, the staff is hospitable, and the experience is a blast for the whole family. The team mascot, Slider, interacts with kids in the stands during the game.
Feast on delicious stadium foods like pizza, hot dogs, and peanuts at half the price of major league stadium games. Kids love the warm pretzel bats and sweets, like ice cream or mini donuts. The concessions stand also offers veggie burgers and a delicious concoction called Gosling Nachos, which has fries, nacho cheese, chicken, jalapenos, and sour cream. Beverages include soda, lemonade, water, domestic and India Pale Ale beer, and wine.
After the game, the players meet the fans and happily sign autographs for the kids. Night games often end with a spectacular fireworks show. Attending a Rochester Honkers game is an affordable and entertaining family night everyone will remember.
Air Insanity
Another exciting rainy-day activity is visiting the indoor trampoline park, Air Insanity. The 32,000-square-foot arena is suitable for kids of all ages. The park has sections like a large open-jump area, a tricky obstacle course, or a laser maze. Bring smaller children to the separate toddler area, where they can safely jump and play with kids their own size. Parents will also be surprised to find how fun it is to jump on trampolines alongside their charges.
Families can easily spend hours laughing and playing at the facility with a friendly staff, energetic background music, and a large selection of areas to keep kids from getting bored. The site has free lockers available to store personal items like coats and shoes, and if mom wants to leave her purse behind to jump with the kids, padlocks are available to rent. Air Insanity provides a clean, safe environment for kids to burn off all that excess energy.
The team at Tom Kadlec Kia hopes you find this list valuable. Did we give you any fresh ideas about things to do? Let us know which suggestions you’re going to try. If your family has a favorite local spring activity, we’d love to hear about it. Drop us a line and tell us what family adventures you’re planning in Rochester, Minnesota, this season.
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