Kick off the Holiday Season with Cedar Rapids’ 4th Annual Fire and Ice Festival

The Cedar Rapids Downtown District and Freedom Festival are presenting this year’s Fire & Ice Festival on Saturday December 6.

Things to note for this year include a new parade route, free carriage rides, children’s train rides, huge balloons in the parade, and much more!

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Apple Picking and Pumpkin Patches

Recently I had the opportunity to take my Girl Scout Troop to a local apple orchard, Honey Creek Acres.  I have lived in Cedar Rapids for 8 years now, and was unaware that this great opportunity was less than 5 minutes from my home on the SW side.  

Honey Creek Acres has just recently re-opened.  The couple that previously owned the orchard didn’t have the time or energy to keep it up.   After 10 years of the orchard sitting neglected, the Pilarczyk’s took up the challenge and are running it as a family business.  Honey Creek Acres is located at 799 Swisher View Drive, in Swisher.  (If you turn at the Swisher post office, you just need to follow the road for about ½ mile and you are there.)  The orchard is open from August to October.  You can pick your own apples or purchase some that have already been picked.  By next year they hope to have the bakery open too, so it will be a one stop shop for all your apple pie, cider, honey and apple pastry needs.

The girls in my troop had a magnificent time.  They received a tour of the orchard via hayrack ride where they viewed all the different kinds of apple trees, the bee hives, and the pumpkin patches.  They also learned about what all is involved in maintaining the orchard.  After the girls took turns picking their apples they were able to eat them and explore the different areas.

By now, the orchard should have their pumpkin patch ready with games etc for the Halloween season, so if you and your family are interested in having a group outing please consider visiting this amazing local orchard for all your pumpkin and apple needs.  They also have field trips available, and the hours are located on their site.

By Kristen Everett

We Found Fun at The Lost Island

An overcast day in the low 70s doesn’t exactly scream water activity weather, but none-the-less three carfuls of my girlfriends and our kids made our way the The Lost Island water park in Waterloo today.  Of course, when we planned the excursion last month, we expected a Friday in late July to be hot and humid.  We debated going for a moment, till I admitted I’d already bought my tickets in advance to save a couple bucks.  So, with grey skies and the threat of rain, we put on our ‘make the best of it’ mom faces and still had a pretty good time.

Free Summer Movies For the Family

Starting tomorrow, The Wehrenberg Galaxy 16 cinema is offering FREE family movies this summer.  Every Wednesday and Thursday through August 14th at 10am and again at 12 noon.

Here’s the schedule:

• July 23 & 24 Bee Movie (PG)
• July 30 & 31 Spiderwick Chronicles (PG)
• Aug 6 & 7 Shrek the Third (PG)
• Aug 13 & 14 Horton Hears a Who (G)

 They run concession deals, too!