The Ice Cream Diaries: Kimmer's Ice Cream in St. Charles

I actually have already written about Kimmer’s Ice Cream before. Or at least the location. Kimmer’s is located in the space occupied for many years by the former Gramp’s Frozen Custard, along the Fox River in downtown St. Charles.

Kimmer's Ice Cream is located in St. Charles.But along with a name change and interior makeover, Kimmer’s is owned by an enthusiastic young woman who is eager to try out new flavors of her homemade ice cream and work with the community. Read on to find out more about the latest entry in the “Ice Cream Diaries.”

Name: Kimmer’s Ice Cream

Address: 1 W. Illinois St. in Charles, in the Fox Island Square complex and across the street from the Blue Goose Supermarket. Phone: 630-762-9480. There’s a parking lot in front of the store with plenty of shops.

Hours: Monday through Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. 

Good for: Anyone enjoying an outing in downtown St. Charles or riding the Fox River bike paths. It makes for a wonderful, scenic walk along the river from the nearby Mt. St. Mary Park.

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Family Movies for Free (Well, Nearly) in St. Charles This Summer

A number of movie chains host series featuring free, or nearly free, children's movies in the summer. 

One of those is Classic Cinemas, which recently released the lineup for its "Wednesday Morning Movie Series." Each Wednesday morning from June 13 through Aug. 8, Classic Cinemas will show a family-friendly film (rated G or PG) with admission of $1 per person.

The show time is 10 a.m. but the doors open at 9 a.m. and you're encouraged to come early to meet costumed characters and participate in games and fun activities. 

Classic Cinemas will take reservations for groups of 15 or more (the series is popular with summer camps and daycare programs), and the group rate of $4.75 per person includes admission, a Kiddie Combo and reserved seating.

Classic Cinemas has theaters all over northern Illinois, including the Charlestowne 18 Theatre at Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles. Other Classic Cinemas participating include those in Carpentersville, Elk Grove Village, Fox Lake, Oak Park, Freeport, North Riverside, Naperville, Kankakee, Downers Grove, Woodstock and Elmhurst.

Without further ado, here's the lineup and a brief description from Classic Cinemas about the film:

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Welcome to a New Sponsor: The St. Charles Singers

I am so pleased to welcome a new advertiser to Go West Young Mom, an organization that will be sponsoring the Calendar page for the next couple of weeks.

Click to see a larger, more readable size of the poster.The St. Charles Singers are a professional choir that have perfomed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolis Chamber Orchestra. The choir members have made a number of international tours, and they perform music from the Renaissance through the modern period.

The choir always offers several holiday-themed concerts, but this year, the choir has added a special "Children's Holiday Concert" perfect for families. The concert is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. at Baker United Methodist Church near downtown St. Charles.

The program will feature traditional carols, sing-a-longs, tunes from around the world and a visit from Santa Claus himself! Tickets are $10 for those 12 and older; $5 for children ages 5 through 11; and children under 5 are free.

Kay Kendall, the choir's executive director, calls this program the "wiggle concert." She says the concert will be a perfect, affordable opportunity to introduce your children to the joy of carols and holiday medleys.

The program will include favorites like "The Little Drummer Boy," "I Saw Three Ships," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "The Grinch," and "My Favorite Things."

Tickets for the St. Charles Singers often sell out, so you can buy your tickets in advance online via the group's website, by calling the box office at 630-513-5272 or in person at Townhouse Books & Cafe, located at 105 North Second Ave. in St. Charles. The bookstore will only accept cash or checks.

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Indoor Play: Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles

Are you ready for the gray, chilly days that lay ahead? We’ll try to help you through them with our Indoor Play Guide. Here’s a new addition to the list; it just opened last spring, and it's free!

The wigwam and canoe at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center. Photo by Tara Burghart.Name: Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, a 10,500-square-foot building on the west side of St. Charles designed to showcase the natural treasures in the Fox Valley.

Location: 3795 Campton Hills Road in St. Charles in James O. Breen Community Park, the same park that is home to Otter Cove Aquatic Park. The easiest entrance to Hickory Knolls is on the south side of Campton Hills Road, just west of Peck Road. The center’s phone number is 630-513-4399.

Hours: Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Open noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

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Great Parks! Rocket Ship Park in St. Charles

I'm optimstic that we have plenty of park weather left this falll, so this week we visit a park that will appeal to all the little astronauts out there.

Kehoe Park in St. Charles. Photo by Tara Burghart.Park Name: Kehoe Park, part of the St. Charles Park District. It is better known, however, as "Rocket Ship Park" because of the - you guessed it - rocket ship slide on the playground.

Location: Located at the intersection of 8th, Prairie and Howard Streets in St. Charles. It's located between downtown St. Charles and Randall Road. There is no parking lot, but street parking is easy.

Amenities: This is a small, 1.5-acre neighborhood park. It features a modern playground, 1960s-era rocket ship slide, swingset, drinking fountain and a small gazebo with a picnic table. It does not have bathrooms or a portable toilet.

Good For: Kids who love pretending to be astronauts or space aliens. The playground is good for all ages, although the area aimed at toddlers is connected by a swaying bridge to the equipment aimed at older kids. 

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