Places to Go, Things to Do

No Mad Mud Mania but plenty to do in July

(Editor's note: First, one traditional event for kids won't happen in July. That's Mad Mud Mania. That well-attended event that finds thousands of kids getting very dirty has been cancelled. So many kids got skin rashes from the dirt last year that the Saint Louis County Parks Department decided not to have Mad Mud Mania this year.)

With the arrival of summer, the number of outdoor activities will reach a peak in July. Fun things range from Fair St. Louis and Live on the Levee in downtown St. Louis to film showings and an Outdoor Adventures Expo.

Ice cream also figures in several of the July activities. That's both making it and eating it.

Then, you can plan your own outdoor activities around such things as a river ferry ride or an ice skating party.

(Each month, Young Saint Louis.com searches for neat activities and places that would be fun for you and your family. We especially look for things and places where attendance is either free or reasonable.)

Here's information about some of the fun things to do during July:

Fair St. Louis

Fair St. Louis has been scaled back in recent years but is still a good way to celebrate July 4th with the three essentials….fireworks, concerts and plenty of food.

The riverfront event starts at 6 p.m. Friday, July 3, and runs through the fireworks display on Saturday, July 4.

On Friday, the concerts are by Lifehouse and the Goo Goo Dolls. On Saturday, Everlife, Kim Massie and Cyndi Lauper perform.

The 130th Veiled Prophet Parade will be held Saturday, starting at 10 a.m.

For details, visit www.celebratestlouis.org.

Live on the Levee

Live on the Levee will have 10 free concerts this summer. Eight of them will be in July, with the final two in August.

In addition, there is a separate Family Fun Village with additional things for kids.

The main concerts start Friday night, July 6, with Los Lonely Boys with the Incurables. On the next night, Saturday, July 7, Grammy winner Emmylou Harris will be backed by the local group Gentleman Auction House.

Opening acts start at 6:30 p.m. with the headliners at 8 p.m. Fireworks close each show.

In the Family Fun Village, there will be acts by the circus troupe St. Louis Archers, the Muny Teens and others.

For more details, visit www.celebratestlouis.org.

Outdoor Adventures Expo

An Outdoor Adventures Expo will be held Wednesday, July 25, at the Busch Range and Conservation Education Center in St. Charles County. Hours for the event will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and admission is free.

There will be chances to meet experts to explain hiking., camping, GPS, canoeing, hunting and fishing, birding and more. You can enjoy free air rifle, 22-caliber rifle and shotgun firing.

Also, there will be a chance for one-on-one questioning of the outdoor sports experts.

No reservations are needed.

For information and directions, call (636) 441-4554.

Ice Cream-linked Events

The National Day of Ice Cream is in July. And there are a number of events that include making and/or eating ice cream.

On Sunday, July 15, the Missouri History Museum will have both indoor and outdoor activities. From 1:30-3:30 p.m., North Star Frozen Treats will have samples through the museum along with appearances of Norton the Penguin.

From 1:15-2 p.m., a 1904 Worlds Fair music program will be on the north lawn. It will feature music by Dee Ban. Then, from 2:30-4 p.m., a concert by The Buckhannon Brothers will play "old tyme music".

For details on this and other museum events, visit www.mohistory.org.

One of the Trailnet-sponsored bike rides in July will be the I Scream for Ice Cream Ride on Sunday, July 15. That ride starts in Edwardsville, Ill., and includes special discounts at Annie's Frozen Custard Shop.

For details on this and other Trailnet rides, visit www.trailnet.org.

The Serendipity Ice Cream Co. in Historic Webster Groves is holding a 4th Anniversary/National Ice Cream Festival on Sunday, July 15. Festival opens at 11 a.m.

There are fun events for the kids, including rock-paper-scissors games, temporary tattooing, "funky photo ops" and live music.

The store is located at 8130 Big Bend Blvd. For information, call (314) 962-2700.

At West Tyson Park in St. Louis County, a Makin' Homemade Ice Cream event will be held on Saturday, July 28, from 1-3 p.m. You get to make the treat and then eat it too.

The fee is $6 per person and reservations are needed. Call (636) 391-0922.

River Crossings by Ferries

The Grafton ferry

You can build your own outdoor adventure in July by planning a trip to one of the boat ferries that cross rivers in the St. Louis area.

The Kampsville ferry over the Illinois River connects northern Jersey County and northwest Calhoun County at Kampsville. For information, call (618) 653-4518.

The Brussels ferry over the Illinois River connects Pere Marquette State Park to the southernmost tip of Calhoun County. For information, call (618) 786-3636.

The Grafton ferry over the Mississippi River connects Grafton with St. Charles. For information, call (636) 250-3103.

The Winfield ferry over the Mississippi connects Winfield to central west Calhoun County. For information, call (618) 396-2535.

The Golden Eagle ferry over the Mississippi connects southwest Calhoun County to St. Charles. For information, call (618) 396-2535.

Ice-skating Parties

You can also plan an ice-skating party, regardless how hot it gets outside.

There are at least a dozen ice-skating rinks in the St. Louis area. Just call one of these rinks to check on public skating times:

Affton Ice Rink, (314) 849-0605; Brentwood Ice Rink, (314) 963-8689; Lindenwood Ice Arena, (636) 332-4000; Creve Coeur Ice Arena, (314) 432-3960; East Alton Ice Arena, (618) 254-7465; U.S. Ice Sports Complex, (618) 398-4600; Forum Ice Rink, (636) 349-7860; ICE Zone St. Louis Mills Center, (314) 227-5288; Kirkwood Ice Arena, (314) 822-5825; St. Peters Rec-Plex, (636) 939-2386; Summit Center, (636) 537-4200; Webster Groves Ice Arena, (314) 963-5678.

Summer Film Series

The St. Louis County Library has classic film screenings during the summer.

The Daniel Boone branch will show "Yankee Doodle Dandy" Tuesday, July 10, at 2 p.m.

The Mid-County Branch will have a Humphrey Bogart art film festival. Bogart films to be shown on Tuesday, July 10, and Tuesday, July 24. Two more films will be in August.

For more about library events, visit www.slcl.org/events.

Trailnet's Bike Rides…and a Run

In addition to the ice cream ride noted above, Trailnet has a number of other kid-friendly rides planned. The group also has a Old Chain of Rocks Bridge run scheduled.

The 8th annual Old Chain of Rocks Bridge run will be Saturday, July 28, starting at 8:30 a.m. There are eight heats for adults, including seniors and those in wheelchairs. A one-half mile run is for kids 10 and under.

The Tuesday Night Riverfront Trail Ride on Tuesday, July 3, starting at 5:30 p.m. The ride will precede the fireworks that kick off the St. Louis July 4th festivities. Routes are from seven to 28.6 miles.

In addition, there are two arts bike rides. The Pedal Through the Past by the Missouri History Museum is Saturday, July 7, in Forest Park. The Petal Pedal ride at the Missouri Botanical Gardens is Tuesday, July 24.

The Big Bottle Bike Ride and Summerfest in Collinsville, Ill., Sunday, July 8 and the Bike St. Louis City Tour is Saturday, July 21.

For details of all these rides, visit www.trailnet.org or pick up the 2007 bike ride schedule at your local bicycle shop.

The Child Mummy

The Child Mummy Exhibit at the St. Louis Science Center will continue throughout July. It is set up outside the Omnimax Theater at the center.

The video display exhibit recreates a 3-D model of the famous Egyptian child mummy. A thousand micro-slices of CT scan data were taking through eight layers of linen wrappings to make the exhibit.

For information, call (314) 289-4444 or visit www.slsc.org.