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 January, you might also be interested in my posts on indoor play in Sioux City , indoor play in Sioux Falls , and Snow Sports in Siouxland .  I hope this event list inspires you to go make some happy memories with your family this month!  2025 update currently in progress! Recommended Reads for January: Mice Skating by Annie Silvestro (picture book) Baking Your Way Through the Holidays by Father Dominic Garramone (cookbook) Weds 1/1 Happy New Year's Day! Go for a First Day Hike to celebrate Thurs 1/2 2pm: Crafternoons at the Library at the downtown branch of the Sioux City Public Library, friendship bracelet making craft  Fri 1/3 1pm: Moana movie showing at the downtown branch of the Sioux City Public Library\ 7:05p...

If you've driven into Nebraska, you may have seen signs proclaiming it "the home of Arbor Day" and wondered what that meant. Arbor Day was started in Nebraska in 1872, and since then, millions of trees are planted each year all around the world as part of Arbor Day celebrations! The Arbor Day Foundation plays a huge role in making this happen, and in preserving the history of Arbor Day. So, I was super excited to work with them to write an article for  Living Here Midwest  magazine about the history of Arbor Day, and to find out more about how Arbor Day started and about what the foundation does now to continue their mission into the future. And spoiler alert: they do this largely through tons of fun at their spectacular Arbor Day Farm and attractions including the Tree Adventure, Porter's BBQ and the Apple Market, the Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, and the Lied Lodge Hotel. Thank you to the Arbor Day Foundation for covering my admission to...

The Midwest is full of festive holiday events, and many of the best holiday events and light display happening in the coming weeks in nearby cities and rural communities. Here are some of my top picks for Christmas events within about 4 hours or so of Sioux City that could make a really fun day trip or weekend trip for families in the Siouxland area! (Want to stay closer to home? Check out my list of Christmas events in Sioux City instead.) *Please excuse my digital dust. 2024 update is in progress and there may be a confusing mishmash of events from both 2023 and 2024 for a very short time during the update process!* Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Winter Wonderland at Falls Park, photo courtesy of Sioux Falls CVB Winter Wonderland at Falls Park features over 300,000 lights on hundreds of trees and poles, and will be lit every night while open The 32nd Annual Parade of Lights  on Phillips Ave from 13th to 5th Streets Enjoy Carols + Cocoa with the Premiere Playhou...

Christmas is coming! The Sioux City area has so many fun and festive events and activities to celebrate the Christmas season and I'm excited to share them all with you.  This post features the best Christmas   events   in Siouxland, the   best places in Siouxland to see Christmas lights , and some of the   best places in Siouxland to see Santa ! This post was originally written in 2018 and is now updated with 2024 events. I will keep updating this post throughout November and December 2024 as new details become available. Please email me at SiouxlandFamiliesBlog [at] gmail at anytime if you have updates I should add! Sioux City & Siouxland Christmas Events November 2024 Christmas at the Homestead  at Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve Saturday 11/09/24 November 9th from noon to 4pm at  Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve  in North Sioux City, South Dakota Historical buildings will be festively decorated, vendors will be on site, and ...

Both of my grandfathers served in the U.S. Armed Forces and I'm so grateful for the many other brave men and women who have served in the past, and to those who choose to serve in the present day. They bravely risk their own safety to preserve freedoms for the rest of us and I thank them for that (and you specifically if you are a veteran or current service member reading this!) In honor of my Grandpa and Grandad, and in honor of all who have served our country, here are five places in Siouxland that honor veterans. Flag Park South Sioux City, NE This small pavilion on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River is home to 50 flags in honor of those who served in Desert Storm, one for each state in the union.  Sergeant Floyd Monument Sioux City, IA Though the expedition was exploratory, not a combat mission, the Corps of Discovery led by Lewis & Clark was a unit of the United States Army, and Sergeant Charles Floyd died while serving our country on that mission. The Flo...

I love reviewing cookbooks, and I'm so excited to tell you all about the newest one! Zingerman's Bakehouse Celebrate Every Day is a brand-new cookbook with recipes useful all year long for holidays and other special days, and for making every day special. Thank you to Chronicle Books for sending me a copy to review.   Zingerman's is an icon in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1982, Zingerman's Deli opened just a few blocks from the University of Michigan campus and it was a delight. The Jewish deli took off, and the brand has expanded in the last 40 years to now include Zingerman's Bakehouse , Roadhouse, Creamery, Coffee, and more. They now employ more than 600 people year round and about 1000 during the holiday season in their various delicious businesses!  And in this new cookbook, the Zingerman's team shares some of their favorite recipes for treats that are perfect for celebrations large and small throughout the year. The book is arrange...