Ride, walk, play in Cedar Rapids on Saturday

With temperatures forecast for the 70s this weekend, Saturday's weather should be perfect to get out of the car and explore Cedar Rapids on foot or by bike.

Ride Walk Play CR offers the chance for residents to do just that. The event will display Cedar Rapids cultural institutions and the trails that connect them, from the Czech Village and the NewBo district to downtown.

A partnership between the Linn County Trails Association and nine museums and cultural institutions, the day will feature family-friendly activities along a 2-mile loop along the Cedar River Trail.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., participants can walk or ride their bikes, starting and ending at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 1400 Inspiration Place SW.

Also along the route will be stations for the African American Museum of Iowa, the Cedar Rapids Science Center, Iowa Children's Museum, Wickiup Hill Nature Center, The Carl and Mary Koehler History Center, Cedar Rapids Public Library and Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.

Each station will feature activities, from learning a Czech or Slovak folk dance to playing with historic toys to a chance to cool off with waterguns.

Participants will help create a community mural by dipping their shoes or bike tires in paint and riding through the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art's parking lot.

Cost of the event is $5 for adults, $2 for children 12 and under or $15 for families.

Registrants will receive discounts for participating at cultural institutions, ranging from free admission to discounted programs throughout the year.

Czech & Slovak Museum Director of Education and Visitor Services Janet Stoffer said she hopes people will take the chance to see what Cedar Rapids and its institutions have to offer.

'All of us here who work in the non-profit sector hear from locals, ‘Oh, I've been meaning to get down there,'” she said. 'I hope this helps them come down and appreciate the attractions people are coming from around the country to see.”

Comments: (319) 398-8434; alison.gowans@sourcemedia.net