Places to Go, Things to Do

Lewis & Clark Heritage Days, Cahokia Mounds Kids Day, etc.

As the school year winds down and the spring weather gets better, May is always a prime time for plenty of outdoor activities that appeal to kids.

In St. Charles, the Lewis & Clark Heritage Days will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16.

In Illinois, Cahokia Mounds will hold its Kids Day on Sunday, May 16.

In St. Louis and Alton, IL, the Wings of Spring Confluence Birding Festival will be held at two locations.

And Trailnet's family ride schedule includes a number of planned bike rides at various locations in our Missouri-Illinois area.

Every month, Young Saint Louis.com searches for activities and events which have special interest for kids and their families. At this time of the year, much of the focus is on outdoor activities.

(Also, elsewhere in this edition, YSL.com has prepared a special article highlighting one of the smaller area parks which has a large number of interesting attractions. Faust Park in St. Louis County has a number of special events that showcase its outstanding installations. Check the Home Page for that story.)

Lewis & Clark Heritage Days

The Lewis & Clark Heritage Days will be held in St. Charles on Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16.

A new event will be the Candlelight Camp Tour on Sunday, starting at 8 p.m.

There will be a parade, a military encampment, drum and fife corps, musket and cannon demonstrations and a skillet throw competition.

For information, visit www.lewisandclarkheritagedays.com.

Cahokia Mounds Kids Day

The Cahokia Mounds Kids Day will be Sunday, May 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cahokia Mounds Historic Site.

There will be demonstrations of arrow head making, Indian games, pottery making, animal track identification, corn grinding and spear throwing.

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

Wings of Spring Confluence Birding Festival

The 5th annual Wings of Spring Confluence Birding Festival will be held at two different locations.

On Saturday, May 1, the event will be at the Forest Park Visitors Center. There will be trolley rides, a birding tour and demonstrations of bird identification.

On Saturday, May 8, the event will be at the National Great River Museum and Bird Sanctuary in Alton, IL. There will be an Ellis Island Warbler Hike as well as a geocaching and Heron Pond hikes. The Great River Museum opens at 8 a.m.

For information, call (800) 258-6645 or visit www.wingsofspring.org.

Trailnet family rides for May

May is National Bike Month and Trailnet has a number of theme rides planned for the month which will appeal to both kids and adults. Among those are:

Lewis & Clark Departure Days Bicycle Ride will be Saturday, May 15, starting at the Alton, IL, marina. There are three routes of 18, 37 and 52 miles. The routes are flat to rolling and follow alongside the river route where Lewis & Clark started their historic trip westward to the Pacific Ocean.

The Freedom Ride on Saturday, May 22. This route starts at the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and is 9 miles on trails and city streets. The bikers will go by historic sites in St. Louis and East St. Louis, IL, that helped shape the African-American heritage in this country.

The Berry Bicycle Ride and Strawberry Festival on Sunday, May 23. This ride includes routes of 10, 19, 27, 42 and 54 miles with most of the mileage on flat or gently rolling terrain. This ride includes a stop at the St. Jacob Strawberry Festival. The routes all start at St. Jacob, IL.

The Great Pizza Bicycle Ride on Monday, May 31. The ride starts at the Millstadt City Park. The routes are 24, 36 and 47 miles, mostly on flat or rolling terrain except for a few bigger hills. After the ride, you can stop at the Breadeaux Pizza for all-you-can-eat pizza and drinks for an extra charge.

For exact details, check the Trailnet website at www.trailnet.org or pick up a 2010 Calendar of Rides brochure at your local bike shop.

U.S. Chess Championships

The 2010 U.S. Chess Championships will be held May 13-25 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center in St. Louis. Spectators are welcome.

The contestants will include some of the best chess players in the United States. They include the defending U.S. champ, the U.S. Seniors champ, the U.S. Juniors champ as well as U.S. championship qualifiers and top players of the U.S. Chess Federation.

For information, call (314) 361-2437 or visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.

Hispanic Festival Cinco de Mayo Village

The Hispanic Festival Cinco de Mayo Village will be held Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8, at the Florissant Civic Center. Hours are 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Admission is free.

There is a children's pavilion, pirates, music and food.

For information, call (314) 837-6100 or visit www.hispanicfestivalstl.com.

First annual Adventure Sports Festival

The 1st annual Adventure Sports Festival will be held at Creve Coeur Park on Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The event will kick-off the Adventure Sports Racing League. There will be demonstrations and information on canoe paddling, mountain bike racing and a trail run. There will be barbecue available.

For information, call (314)962-7715 or visit www.alpineshop.com.