Mr. Mick will lead a STEM activity after our community programs. No registration required. Everyone welcome!
Tag Archives: Kids
NPS Big River Clam Cleanup
Join us for the National Park Service Mussel Rehabilitation. During this hands-on event National Park Service divers will bring up native mussels from the river bottom for the audience to scrape off the non-native zebra mussels. Explanations and equipment will be provided. Maximum of 40 people.
Rain date: Thursday, July 23, 12:30-2pm
To learn more watch the video: 2026 St. Croix RiverFest: Native Mussel Conservation
Join the St. Croix RiverFest and dive into the hidden world of freshwater mussels in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and discover why these unsung filter feeders are essential to healthy river ecosystems. Often functioning like freshwater coral reefs, native mussels improve water clarity and create vital habitats, but they are also among North America’s most imperiled animals due to pollution, historical harvesting, and fragmented waterways. This conservation update highlights the ongoing efforts of the multi-agency Mussel Coordination Team to protect these remarkable bivalves. Learn about their fascinating life cycle—which relies on specific host fish to reproduce—and explore recent conservation milestones, including first-of-its-kind propagation successes for the endangered Winged Mapleleaf, self-reproducing Higgins Eye populations, and exciting new species discoveries from the 2025 Namekagon River Comprehensive Mussel Survey.
Carpenter Nature Center’s Animals of the St. Croix
Join Carpenter Nature Center (CNC) staff to learn about some of the amazing animals that call the St. Croix River Valley their home and meet them up close!
CNC is an environmental education and conservation organization with the mission of fostering appreciation and inspiring stewardship of the natural world. With campuses on both the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the St. Croix River, CNC is able to preserve wildlife habitat while also providing quality educational opportunities.
Make & Take Crafts and STEM Activities at the Library
Stop by the Library during open hours (Tues.-Thur. 10am-8pm, Fri. 10am-6pm & Sat. 10am-3pm) for RiverFest STEM activity or make a River Otter. Make them with friends at the library or take the materials home.
Kids Street Water Class & Performance
The Kids Street Water Class runs the week of July 20-24 from 9am-12pm with a performance on Friday, July 24th at 7pm.
The Pop-Up Players will explore clean water and the environment with a goal of developing a theatrical performance at RiverFest. Students will study acting, singing, prop making and more. The class will conclude Friday, July 24th at 7pm with and eco-friendly performance for at the Hudson Bandshell.
For kids age 8-12. This is a free class, but you must pre-register by contacting Liz Malanaphy at lizmalanaphy@gmail.com or 715-245-0432.
Let’s Go Paddling!
Meet at 10am SHARP at the Willow River boat launch Willow River State Park, 1034 County Road A, Hudson
Kayaks are limited! Registration is required, grab your spot here https://tinyurl.com/paddlewillow26
In honor of RiverFest week, join our park naturalists’ on a scenic kayaking trip up to the beautiful Willow Falls, before peacefully floating back down the Willow River. This is a great activity to enjoy individually, with a friend, or as a family! Children who are ages 10 and up, accompanied by a parent/guardian and are capable of operating their own kayak for the entirety of the trip are welcome to join! Please dress for the weather and bring along a lifejacket (if you do not wish to wear one of ours) waterproof shoes, drinking water, sunscreen, and bug spray. This kayak trip takes roughly 2.5-3 hours to complete depending on the pace of the group.
This event costs $25/kayak. Vehicle admission into the park is a separate and required fee.
All outdoor events are weather-dependent.
Questions? Email: naturecenter@willowkinnifriends.org
Stuart Stott’s Music Program and Library Ice Cream Social
Join us for an engaging family concert with loads of group participation. Ice cream provided by the Hudson Area Library Foundation and Friends of the Hudson Area Library.
Make & Take Crafts and STEM Activities at the Library
Stop by the Library during open hours (Tues.-Thur. 10am-8pm, Fri. 10am-6pm & Sat. 10am-3pm) for RiverFest STEM activity or make a River Otter. Make them with friends at the library or take the materials home.
Make & Take Crafts and STEM Activities at the Library
Stop by the Library during open hours (Tues.-Thur. 10am-8pm, Fri. 10am-6pm & Sat. 10am-3pm) for RiverFest STEM activity or make a River Otter. Make them with friends at the library or take the materials home.
St. Croix Valley Community Band Concert
The FREE St. Croix Valley Community Band Concert is a popular RiverFest event. Celebrating community and the scenic St. Croix River with something for people of all ages. Colleen Raye will be joining the concert as a featured guest artist. You won’t want to miss this fun-filled family evening! Families are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket or lawn chairs and settle in to enjoy the show.
The RiverFest theme song will be played for a sing-along. View the lyrics to the RiverFest, It’s the Best! song.
See the RiverFest mascot Scrappy on display! Created by sculptor Mary Johnson, the splashing bass figure is metal armature. Each year students from the Phipps Center for the Arts “Just Add Water” art and science class help complete the sculpture by processing and re-purposing the litter collected in Hudson during the river cleanup to create a new “skin” for Scrappy.
In the event of rain, the concert will be moved to The Phipps Center for the Arts, Black Box Theater at 109 Locust Street.
If the weather is stormy, please check here before the concert for any location updates.