Places to Go, Things to Do

Spring events galore for April outings

The baseball Cardinals will open the 2009 regular season and the NCAA's Women's Final Four basketball tournament are coming to town in April. And there are lots of other Things to Do and Places to Go for kids this month.

St. Louis also will hold its Earth Day Festival and the GO!Family Fitness Weekend. The Children's Garden at the Botanical Garden starts its warm-weather season.

And the unique St. Louis Storytelling Festival is at the end of the month. (For details, see feature story on home page.)

Also, on the home page, check out a special Outdoor Fun feature that helps you to plan your own outdoor experiences at the host of small conservation areas spotting around the metro area, including in cities and towns.

Every month, Young Saint Louis.com looks for events and activities which have special appeal for kids and their families. We're always on the lookout for things with low admission prices.

But, we include major league baseball and national collegiate basketball because they attract attention regardless of price. (For NCAA Final Four information, see article on home page.)

And, finally, YSL.com is on the lookout for activities that get kids outdoors to explore their communities and the metro St. Louis area.

St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 Opening Day

The St. Louis Cardinals open their 2009 baseball season on Monday, April 6, at Busch Stadium. The opponent will be the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The first game will be an afternoon contest, starting at 3:15 p.m.

For information, call (314) 345-9500 or visit http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com.

Remember, the Cardinals host this year's Major League Baseball's All-Star game.

GO!St Louis Family Fitness Weekend

One of the premier fitness and running events is the GO!St. Louis Family Fitness Weekend. This year's event will be Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, in downtown St Louis.

There are seven different running events, ranging from the St. Louis Marathon at 26.2 miles to "diaper dashes" for infants.

The event also includes the climax of the 26-week Read, Right and Run program in area schools. The kids started last fall on a weekly program of reading, doing good deeds and running. They finish their running requirement on this weekend.

For information, call (314) 727-0800 or visit www.gostlouis.org.

St. Louis Earth Day Festival

The St. Louis Earth Day Festival will be held Sunday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Forest Park.

This annual event includes exhibits and displays of ways to make a "green" planet through use of both old and new technologies.

For information, call (314) 961-5838 or visit www.stlouisearthday.org.

Children's Garden at Botanical Garden

The Schnuck Children's Garden opens the 2009 season on Wednesday, April 1, and will be open through the end of October.

This unique area inside the Missouri Botanical Garden includes all sorts of activities for kids.

They range from caves and wetlands to a treetop canopy. Also, there are exhibits showing the use of plants in the 19th Century for food, medicines, clothing and shelter.

For info, call (314) 577-9400 or (800) 642-8842. Or you can visit www.mobot.org.

Also, during April visit the 150th anniversary Floral Clock.

Wetlands for Kids

The annual Wetlands for Kids will be held Saturday, April 4, at the Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles County. The hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There are all sorts of outdoor and wildlife exhibits and program for kids and their families. Among the subjects are birds of prey, wetland artwork, a beaver lodge and live snakes.

You can practice with air rifles and archery equipment. Also, you can watch retriever dogs perform.

For information, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/stlouis. You can look up a wide variety of other activities at the Missouri Department of Conservation's many St. Louis area facilities.

Wings of Spring Birding Festival

The Wings of Spring Confluence Birding Festival will be held on Saturday, April 25, at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, MO. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The festival will feature walking tours at Ellis Island (3 miles), Two Pecan Pond (1 mile) and a short geocaching route.

For information, check www.wingsofspring.org.

Indian Market Days at Cahokia Mounds

The Spring Indian Market Days event will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 4-5, at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Illinois.

The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

There will be displays by a wide variety of Indian artists and vendors. They include painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, fetishes, dolls, soap and food.

For information, call (618) 346-5160 or visit www.cahokiamounds.com.

Trailnet Hikes and Bicycle Rides

The busy season for Trailnet hikes and biking outings starts in April. One of the first is the Flat-as-a-Floodplain bicycle ride on Sunday, April 4. Registration is 8:30 to 10 a.m.

Routes start from Orchard Farm High School in St. Charles County. The ride routes are 15, 25 and 46 miles. And, as the name implies, the routes are flat with no hills so will be easy early-season exercise for young and old.

Also in April is the Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail Hike It or Bike It event on Wednesday, April 15.

The route is along the Monarch level along the Missouri River. The 4-mile route is paved for easy riding or hiking.

For information, call Trailnet at (314) 416-9930 or visit www.trailnet.org.

Also, be sure to pick up a season-long guide of 2009 rides and walks from your local cycling shop. It will be helpful for planning future riding or hiking outings.

River City Music Days

River City Music Days will be held on Saturday, April 25, at the Old Courthouse on the Arch Grounds in downtown St. Louis.

The feature attraction will be the Sleepy Hollow High School band and choir.

For information, call (314) 655-1700 or visit www.nps.gov/jeff.

Humpday History Lectures

The subject of the April Humpday History Lecture at the First State Capitol Historic Site will be Herbs. The lecture is Wednesday, April 15, from 4 to 6 p.m.

You can learn folklore and how to identify herbs used in cooking, seasoning, medicines and around the house. There will be information about use of herbs for dyeing cloth.

A special program will let kids try out herbal milk painting.

For info, call (636) 940-3323 or visit www.mostateparks.com/firstcapitol.htm.

A Frog and Toads Workshop

If you're a kid who likes frogs and toads, you'll want to try the Frogs and Toads Workshop at the Nature Institute in Godfrey, IL, on Wednesday, April 8, starting at 6 p.m.

Local naturalist Paul Shetley will help you identify all sorts of frogs and toad, including the leopard frogs and the spring peepers.

For information and reservations, call (618) 466-9930. Or you can visit the website at www.thenatureinstitute.org.