Peoria Park District events for June

Come Out and Enjoy Patriotic Jazz Tunes Performed by Harmony In Blue!

Bring the whole family out to see Harmony in Blue, the Jazz Ensemble of the Air National Guard Band of the Midwest. Concert will be held at Glen Oak Park Amphitheatre on June 7 at 7 p.m. We are privileged and excited to finally get to hear Harmony in Blue this year as last year this event had to be cancelled due to the federal shutdown of military services.

For more information visit www.peoriaparks.org or call (309) 681-2854.

OWENS CENTER SCHEDULES SUMMER SKATE LESSONS

Summer Skating Lessons at Owens Center in Lakeview Park begin the week of June 9 and there’s still time to sign up. These summer session classes meet twice a week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday) for two weeks. You can also choose Saturday lessons that meet for five weeks or evening lessons that meet once a week for five weeks. Choose a day and time that is right for you. Pick up a full schedule at Owens Center or the Peoria Park District Summer Playbook, available at area libraries and businesses, as well as at Park District facilities. For more information on ice skating and hockey, call Owens Center at 686-3368 or check us out on the web at www.peoriaparks.org/owens-center.

PEORIA PARK DISTRICT SWIM LESSONS BEGIN JUNE 10

Swim Lessons at the Peoria Park District’s outdoor pools begin June 10 and run through the summer. For complete details on available classes visit www.peoriaparks.org Call Gywnn Aquatic Center at (309) 676-2891 or Lakeview Family Aquatic Center at (309) 686-3377 with questions.

Give Tennis A Try – Attend a FREE Clinic!

Tennis Blitz for ages 7-17 and Intro to Quickstart for ages 7-11 begin the week of

June 4 at Bradley Park. Both clinics are free and a great way to find out if you like the

sport! Complete descriptions and schedules can be found in the current Playbook and online

at www.peoriaparks.org/tennis, or call (309) 688-3667 with questions.

FootGolf in Peoria, IL

The Peoria Park District’s Detweiller Golf Course is proud to be the home of FootGolf in

Central Illinois. Detweiller received accreditation from the American FootGolf League

(AGL), based out of Palm Springs, California, and is one of fourteen accredited courses in

Illinois.

Youth Baseball Morning Clinics

The Peoria Park District (PPD) is offering Youth Baseball Morning Clinics for ages 9-12 on Tuesdays and Thursdays June 3 through July 3 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Von Steuben School. Cost is $25 if you play PPD youth baseball or $40 if you do not. Players will get an opportunity to work on hitting, fielding, base running and pitching to take their skills to the next level. Register online at www.peoriaparks.org/baseball, or call (309) 681-2867 with questions.

Peoria Park District Coach Pitch

The Peoria Park District’s Coach Pitch program is a non-competitive league that stresses the fundamentals of baseball to boys and girls ages 6-8. The season runs June 2-July 19 and costs $48/residents, $53/non-residents. Players and parents must attend a mandatory meeting on May 28 at 6:15 p.m. at Lakeview Recreation Center.

There are a variety of locations and times available to choose from. Complete descriptions and schedules are in the current Playbook and online at www.peoriaparks.org/baseball, or call (309) 681-2867 with questions.

Girls’ Summer Basketball Clinic At Proctor Center Proctor Recreation Center is offering a Summer Basketball Clinic for girls in grades 1-4. Participants will work on individual basketball skills before the school season begins. The clinic runs on Mondays beginning on June 9 through June 30, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sign up with your team or come individually. For more information call Proctor Recreation Center at 673-9183.

Peoria Park District Tee Ball

The Peoria Park District’s Tee Ball program is a non-competitive introduction to baseball for boys and girls ages 4-5. The season runs June 3-July 19 and costs $41/residents, $46/non-residents. Players and parents must attend a mandatory meeting on May 28 at 5:30 p.m. at Lakeview Recreation Center.

Youth Baseball Morning Clinics

The Peoria Park District (PPD) is offering Youth Baseball Morning Clinics for ages

9-12 on Tuesdays and Thursdays June 3 through July 3 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Von

Steuben School. Cost is $25 if you play PPD youth baseball or $40 if you do not.

Players will get an opportunity to work on hitting, fielding, base running and pitching

to take their skills to the next level.

questions.

Football in Summer at Proctor Center

Learn the fundamentals of football at Proctor Center this summer. Participants ages 8-14 will work on passing, catching, kicking, lateral foot swiftness, change of direction, reaction time, and much, much more! The session runs on June 16 through June 20 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Instruction taught by Lynn Collins who runs the Collins Sun Devils

youth program from Arizona, servicing kids in a way to promote a healthy lifestyle, give confidence, and develop problem solving skills. Wear comfortable clothing and gym shoes. Drinks provided. For more information call Proctor Recreation Center at 673-9183.

Fathers and Floats at the Peoria Zoo!

Join us at the Peoria Zoo on Sunday, June 8 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for an early Father’s Day treat! We’ll have ice cream floats, animal encounters and scheduled talks throughout the Zoo. Space is limited, so call to purchase your tickets today at 309-681-3559. Cost is $7 for Zoo members and $11 for non-members. Children 2 and under are FREE. Registration for this event is required and price includes admission to the Zoo.

Gwynn and Lakeview Family Aquatic Centers Summer Swim Hours

Gwynn Family Aquatic Center will be open for public swimming beginning June 3 through August 9. Gwynn is open on Monday-Saturday from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Lakeview Family Aquatic Center will be open for public swimming beginning June 3 through August 10. Public Swim hours are Tuesday through Friday from 12:00- 4:00 pm, Saturday & Sunday from 12:00 – 5:00 pm. Closed Mondays.

Try to Outlast Your Opponents at Proctor’s Laser Tag Tournament

Join us for Proctor Recreation Center’s new Laser Tag Tournament on Thursday, June 26 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. We’ll have the lasers and all the equipment for a fun time of running around and exercising. These units do not use vests or headgear, all electronics are built into the RF frequency control box. It gives you real-time display of what’s fired, hits, times hit, and eliminations. Results can also be transmitted to a central controller to allow for a printout of all players’ reports. After all the exercising, relax with popsicles and refreshments! Please register by June 18. For more information call Proctor Recreation Center at 673-9183 or visit www.peoriaparks.org.

CHECK OUT THE VEGGIE MOBILE AND EAT HEALTHIER THIS SUMMER

Join your neighborhood friends on the first Saturday of June, July and August for a free ride to the RiverFront Farmer’s Market starting June 8 through August 31. The van will leave Proctor Center at 9:00 am and will return around 10:30 am.

The RiverFront Farmer’s Market sells the freshest produce, organic meats and other local products. The market accepts SNAP or LINK cards and we will help with this before leaving Proctor Center.

To participate, call (309) 657-5772 the Thursday before the market and tell Jonelle that you want to go to the RiverFront Farmer’s Market. Bring a neighbor and enjoy the best and healthiest produce Central Illinois has to offer!

Community Children’s Theatre to Present “Ragtime – School Edition,” June 10-13

The Peoria Park District’s Community Children’s Theatre will present “Ragtime – School Edition,” directed by Bryan Blanks at Peoria Players Theatre, on July 10, 11 and 12 at 7 p.m. and July 11, 12 and 13 at 1:30 p.m.

“Ragtime” is not only a powerful portrait of life in turn-of-the-century America but a relevant tale for today, with music as diverse as the melting pot of America itself. The production draws upon many musical styles – from the ragtime rhythms of Harlem and Tin Pan Alley to the klezmer of the Lower East Side, from bold brass band marches to delicate waltzes, and from up-tempo banjo tunes to period parlor songs and expansive anthems. The musical intertwines the stories of three extraordinary families as they confront history’s timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair – and what it means to live in America.

Tickets are $14 for adults and $9 for children 12 and under (or seniors) and go on sale at the Noble Center for Park Administration, 1125 W. Lake Avenue, Peoria, on June 16 — and at www.artspartners.net ($3 charge). Group rates are available. For more information, call (309) 681-2861. This event is sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs at Glen Oak Amphitheatre

The Peoria Park District Glen Oak Amphitheatre presents Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs on June 9. Gates open at 8 p.m.; movie begins at dusk. Cost is $.50 per person.

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs is sponsored by Macaroni Kid Peoria.

Movies are projected onto the Glen Oak Amphitheatre’s band shell, located in Glen Oak Park. Pack some snacks or purchase some from the concession stand.

Visit www.peoriaparks.org for the complete Family Flick schedule or call (309) 688-3667 with questions.

Come Out and Enjoy Patriotic Jazz Tunes

Performed by Harmony In Blue!

For more information visit www.peoriaparks.org or call (309) 681-2854.

VISIT DAD AT THE PEORIA ZOO

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a dad in the animal kingdom? Visit the Peoria Zoo with YOUR dad this Father’s Day and have a visit with our Zoo dads, Sunday, June 15. All dads will get in for the price of a child’s admission. Here are some amazing Dad facts from the Zoo that you’ll find interesting.

• A male lion’s primary job is to protect the pride and its territory. The lion makes it on the list of amazing fathers because he can be defending up to 20 of his babies at one time. He has to be careful because if another male lion takes over, the new male will kill all of the babies in the pride. The new male will only raise his own offspring, leaving the old male with no claim to future generations.

Darwin frogs lay three to 15 eggs every year. The male stays near the eggs for about 20 days, until the eggs are nearly ready to hatch. At that point, the male takes the eggs into his mouth where they enter his vocal sac and soon hatch. The tadpoles develop within the vocal sac for the next 50–70 days. After the young metamorphose, they crawl back into the father’s mouth from the vocal sac. The father then opens his mouth and the froglets hop out onto land.

• Male rheas are polygamous, courting between two and 12 females. The male rhea then builds a nest where all the females lay their eggs. The females are then done, but the papa rhea’s job has just started. He then spends over 40 days and 40 nights watching over the eggs until they hatch. Even when they hatch his job is still not done. He alone cares for the striped young, jealously guarding them against all other animals (including humans!) for the next six months. When the young are half-grown they can wander on their own, but generally they remain in their father’s care for two to three years!

• Marmosets are tiny South American monkeys. The fathers take care of their babies from birth. When the teeny marmoset is born, the father cleans it, but carries it to the mother only when it needs to be nursed. When the baby can eat solid food, the father will feed it.

• A father Namaqua sand grouse of Africa’s Kalahari Desert flies as far as 50 miles a day in order to soak himself in water and return to his nest, where his chicks can drink from his feathers! Specially adapted breast feathers can absorb up to 40 ml of water. After wading through watering holes to absorb water, the male will return to the nest so the chicks can drink the water from his feathers.

• The male seahorse has a pouch on its stomach in which to carry babies—as many as 2,000 at a time. A pregnancy lasts from 10 to 25 days, depending on the species. The father even has contractions as the babies hatch. The contractions help the new father push the babies outside his body. He continues to protect the young until they are able to live on their own.

If you have questions or for more information, call the Peoria Zoo at (309) 681-3513.