Siouxland Families

Looking for things to do in Sioux City? Every month I list family-friendly events in Siouxland, from storytimes to craft events and concerts, along with a few holidays from serious to silly! I'll update throughout the month as new events and details are released. You might also be interested in my posts about Snow Sports in Siouxland and First Day Hikes in Siouxland! Friday 1/1 New Years Day Enter the Iowa DNR First Day Hike giveaway! Sat 1/2 11am: First Family Storytime: Cozy themed virtual storytime event hosted by the Sioux City Public Library, sign up through the library website to get the streaming link, and stop by the Morningside branch of the Sioux City Public library to pick up a free activity kit anytime the library is open between 12/16 and 12/31! 7:05pm: Sioux City Musketeers hockey vs. Omaha at the Tyson Events Center Sun 1/3 Mon 1/4 National Trivia Day Tues 1/5 Weds 1/6 10:30am: Library Storytime hosted by the Sioux City Public Library on Facebook Thurs 1/7 Fri 1/8

What do you do when the shipping deadlines have come and gone and you still need another gift? For Christmas 2020, the "guaranteed by Christmas" shipping deadline has already passed for many online retailers, but you can still order from some, including Amazon (until 12/22 if you're a Prime member,)   But even beyond that point, there are options right here in town, no delivery needed. So don't despair! Here are some of the amazing local stores, restaurants, and attractions offering Christmas gifts for everyone on your list that you can get right here in Sioux City: 2020 Downtown Small Business Marketplace Pop-Up event Come shop local and regional small businesses in downtown Sioux City during weekends in December before Christmas (12/5, 12/12, and 12/19)! Sioux City Downtown Partners and Iowa's West Coast Initiative teamed up to make it possible for local makers and companies to open up shop in vacant downtown spaces just for Decembers in 2020. You can find

Sioux City's first Aldi store officially opened on 1/15/2021! The grocer is the third largest in the US, so its no surprise that it's moving into more markets, including ours. Some local families may have shopped at one of the 3 Sioux Falls Aldi stores, or the one in Fremont, Nebraska! But if you're totally new to Aldi, there are some things you definitely need to know. I checked with some of my blogging friends from other parts of the Midwest to ask what us Aldi newbies should know, and here's their helpful advice, along with some basic info on the store, and some tips from me! Where is the Sioux City ALDI? ALDI Sioux City at 3140 Floyd Blvd, on the southeast corner of Floyd Blvd and Outer Drive, about a block north of Pizza Ranch. As of January 2021, it's open from 9am to 8pm all 7 days of the week.  UPDATE: in late January 2022, it was announced that Aldi is building a second Sioux City store, and in late February 2022, they announced that it wil

  Every month I list family-friendly events in Siouxland, from storytimes to craft events and concerts, along with a few holidays from serious to silly! I'll update throughout the month as new events and details are released. You might also be interested in my Christmas in Siouxland post! Tues 12/1 Weds 12/2 10:30am: Virtual storytime presented by the Sioux City Public Library  on Facebook Thurs 12/3 5-9pm: Homestead Holidays at the Adams Homestead & Nature Preserve Fri 12/4 National Cookie Day 5-9pm: Homestead Holidays at the Adams Homestead & Nature Preserve Sat 12/5 11am: First Saturday Family Storytime presented by the Sioux City Public Library on Zoom. Sign up here .  Noon-4pm: Santa in the Window at the Warrior Hotel 5-9pm: Homestead Holidays at the Adams Homestead & Nature Preserve Sun 12/6 St. Nicholas Day Mon 12/7 10am-4:30pm: Come & Go Christmas at the North Sioux City Library Tues 12/8 10am-4:30pm: Come & Go Christmas at the North Sioux City Library W

Christmas gifts that create joyful, lasting memories--that's what we are all looking for, right? While the right toy, game, or book can definitely be a treasure that leads to making happy memories, an increasing number of families are also finding the value in "experience" gifts. We are lucky to have a plethora of options here in Sioux City and in our neighboring communities like Omaha and Sioux Falls. From museum memberships to concert tickets, here are some of my top recommendations for experience gifts for Siouxland Families for Christmas 2022 or any gift-giving occasion, along with a few suggestions of physical items to pair with them if you'd like your kids or other loved ones to have something to physically open and enjoy on Christmas morning in anticipation of the experience gift: *2024 update in progress! please excuse my digital dust*

There's something extra special about real, natural Christmas trees, and luckily for us, there are some great places to find them near Sioux City and Siouxland! Here are all of the Christmas tree farms I found within about 2 hours of Sioux City. The Christmas tree farmers I spoke to in writing this post were super nice, festive people who are genuinely excited about helping families make the season special. So I encourage you to reach out to them if the details you're looking for aren't listed here.  This post was first written in 2018 and is updated every year. The 2024 update in currently in progress, so please excuse my digital dust as I polish this post with the most accurate info for you. Feel free to reach out if you are looking for information and can't find it anytime, but especially while I'm in the middle of editing this post. T&S Christmas Tree Farm T&S Christmas Tree Farm, photo used with permission of T&S Christmas Tree Farm Address

Siouxland has a vibrant Native American culture (as you may guess from the name alone!) with deep roots that reach back before written history. Here are some of the best places in Siouxland to find out more about the people who have been here since before Lewis & Clark spotted our bluffs on their famed expedition, and who continue to make Siouxland great, along where to grab a snack or drink while supporting a local tribe, and some recommendations of other places to learn more about Native Americans in other parts of the Midwest:  Sioux City Public Museum 607 4th Street, Sioux City The Sioux City Public Museum features a small but worthwhile collection of artifacts and information from Siouxland's earliest residents through modernity.  Visit the Sioux City Public Museum website for more information. Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center & Betty Strong Encounter Center 900 Larsen Park Road, Sioux City, Iowa The center focuses on the histor

 Every month I list family-friendly events in Siouxland, from storytimes to craft events and concerts, along with a few holidays from serious to silly! I'll update throughout the month as new events and details are released. You might also be interested in Sun 11/1 Daylight Savings Time Ends!  2pm:  Mon 11/2 Tues 11/3 Election Day Weds 11/4 10:30am: Library Storytime Live on Facebook, hosted by the Sioux City Public Library Thurs 11/5 6pm: Magnetic West virtual event opening celebrating the Sioux City Art Center's latest exhibit. Goodie bags will be available at the art center after the event for the first 100 Zoo event attendees only! Event details here .  Fri 11/6 Sat 11/7 National Bison Day 11am: First Saturday Family Storytime with the Sioux City Public Library on Zoom, register ahead of time to receive link, plus schedule a time to pick up a packet with interactive materials for more fun! Call (712) or e-mail youthservices@siouxcitylibrary.org 7:05pm: Sioux City Musketeer

  Every month I list family-friendly events in Siouxland, from storytimes to craft events and concerts, along with a few holidays from serious to silly! I'll update throughout the month as new events and details are released. You might also be interested in  Siouxland Pumpkin Patches  and Halloween Events in Siouxland !

Jim Henson and his iconic creation Kermit the Frog, in front of a mural by Coulter Watt. Photo by John E. Barrett. Kermit the Frog ©Disney/Muppets. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company/MoMI The Durham Museum has an exciting exhibit opening this October that everyone will love, including kids! It's all about Jim Henson, the incomparable artist and visionary who created beloved characters that defined many of our childhoods. I honestly didn't realize how much of a Jim Henson fan I am until I started reading the list of the characters he has created. Now I'm totally geeking out over this exhibition and the idea of sharing my love of Red Fraggle with my kids! I'm hoping I'll get a chance to head down and check it out myself, and I'll update this post with lots more pics if that happens, but for now, here's what you should know about this amazing exhibit: The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unleashed Here are some of the fun things your family can expect to see if

graphic used with permission of Sioux City Downtown Partners What is the Sioux City Alley Art Festival? The Sioux City Alley Art Festival is a local celebration of street art! The event features murals as well as vendor booths, food, live music, and more! Where is the Sioux City Alley Art Festival? The Sioux City Alley Art Festival is held in downtown Sioux City, in the alleys between 4th & 5th Streets and Pierce and Nebraska Streets. 4th Street between Pierce & Nebraska will also be closed for the festival so there's more room for fun! When is the Sioux City Alley Art Festival? This year's Sioux City Alley Art Festival will held on Saturday, September 26th from 1-11pm. How to participate in the Sioux City Alley Art Festival Everyone is welcome at the Sioux City Alley Art Festival! Entrance fee is $5 per person 11+ and FREE for everyone 10 & under! Besides the

Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, South Dakota may be "just" a day use park, but don't let that fool you. This South Dakota state park offers 15,000 acres of beauty and adventure in any season, with well-maintained trails, a cute playground, live animals, historical buildings, archery facilities, and an adorable visitors center. It's easy to see why Adams Homestead is a favorite of locals and visitors alike. And it's FREE to visit! Here's what you might want to know about Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve before visiting (or before visiting again if you haven't been in a while!) What is Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve? Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve is a 1500-acre park in North Sioux City, South Dakota, on the peninsula between the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers. The land was once part of the homestead of Stephen Searls Adams, whose granddaughters Mary and Maud Adams gifted the land to the state of South Dakota

Siouxland is a great place to enjoy the wonders of the natural world! Here are some of the best places in Sioux City, Sioux Falls, and other nearby communities in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota to do just that: Adams Homestead & Nature Preserve North Sioux City, SD This historic park in North Sioux City is home to butterflies, woodland and wetland critters galore, and hundreds of species of birds, and is known for its hands-on learning farm, Sonny's Acres with a donkey, ducks, and more! Check out my posting about visiting Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve Find out more at the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve website Butterfly House & Aquarium Sioux Falls, SD This unique attraction combines a butterfly house and an aquarium! For more information, visit the Butterfly House & Aquarium website . Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Sioux City, IA Sioux City's best place for nature education is home to fun indoors and out, with a variety of educational displays, and inclu