Not just ground chuck

Spending the summer in Charleston? This guide will show you what to do.

By: Sarah Henderson/ Staff reporter

Posted: 4/28/05

With the end of the spring semester rapidly approaching, many students are anxiously awaiting their departure from Eastern Illinois University, while other students are welcoming their summer session.

So, what is there to do in Charleston when the move-out dust settles?

Parks and Recreation Summer Classes

The Charleston Park and Recreation Department offers classes that range from learning the basic fundamentals of tennis, to dealing with stress while working up a sweat in cardio kickboxing. Other classes that may spark an interest include an eight-week basic pet obedience class for feisty dogs and a puppy kindergarten for dogs that are eight weeks to six months old. There are also golf lessons for individuals who want to improve on their swing as well as their overall game.

League Sports

The park district offers leagues in both softball and co-ed sand volleyball.

There are softball leagues for both men and women as well as co-ed. Teams can be formed through the recreation department and fees are determined by gender. Depending on the league, games are played Monday through Thursday nights and Sunday at various fields around the city.

Volleyball leagues are co-ed and the rules state that two females are required to be on the court at all times. Teams have to be registered through the district by June 1 and play goes from June 6 to July 21. All games are played in the early evening on Monday and Thursday nights at the Sister City Park located on Route 130.

Tournaments

Horseshoes

On June 25, the recreation department is holding a Horseshoe Tournament. Registration for this event is the day of and begins at 9:45 a.m. with the tournament beginning immediately after registration is complete. The event costs $13 and is played at the horseshoe pits located by the shed at Morton Park.

Beach Volleyball

The department is also holding a Beach Volleyball Classic on July 9th. This is a four-on-four co-ed double elimination tournament being held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sister City Park. The fee is $55 per team.

Marathon

For $10, students can participate in the fifth annual Panther Prowl which will take place July 9, and is sponsored by the Charleston Wind Runners and the parks and recreation department. This 5K or 15K run starts and finishes at the Campus Pond Pavilion and check-in is from 6:15 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. and the event will start at 7:15a.m.

Concerts

Starting on June 9th, the recreation department starts concerts in the park. Concerts occur each week on Thursday evenings from mid-June to mid-July at Kiwanis Park.

Holiday Celebrations

July 3-4, the city has a celebration picnic for Independence Day. This is held at Morton Park and includes food, fireworks and a concert from country music singer Aaron Tippin. The fireworks are set off at the airport and are sponsored in conjunction by the airport and the cities of Charleston and Mattoon.

Expos

The weekend of July 15 to July 17, the Oliver Hart Parr Collectors Club will host the seventh annual Summer Expo at Coles County Fairgrounds. This is a showcase of antique tractors that are 25 years or older. There will also be a festival that includes tractor pulls, games and a large flea market.

"(Tractor pulls are) where a whole bunch of tractors come together and you put a whole bunch of weight on a semi-trailer," said Tim Walker, a freshman political science major. "Then you hook the tractors to the trailer and then pull it down a dirt track."

Bagelfest

Mattoon will play host to BagelFest 2005 from July 21 to July 23 at Peterson Park located on 500 Broadway. This is a celebration of gratitude to Murray Lender for bringing his Lender Bagel factory to Mattoon. In 1998, Murray made "The World's Berry Biggest Bagel," which weighed in at 765 pounds.

This event has been going on annually since 1986. The festival includes a marathon, beauty pageant, dog show and a talent show. Throughout the weekend, there will be concerts from southern rock band .38 Special and Christian singer Matthew West.

On the morning of July 22, the festival will also hold the "World's Largest Bagel Breakfast" at 8 a.m. This breakfast includes free bagels and cream cheese.

"You just go there and they just hand you as many bagels as you please," said Staci Luce, a freshman clinical laboratory science major.

Fox Ridge

Located eight miles south of Charleston is the Fox Ridge State Park.

"Fox Ridge is very pretty and is very thickly wooded," Luce said. "My favorite place in the park is Eagle Point, that looks over the lake."

This park includes picnic areas and grills that are available for day use. Also, there are two baseball diamonds and sand volleyball courts, eight hiking trails, 43 campsites and a shower facility. Three cabins are also available for rent.

Lake Charleston

Closer to the city limits is Lake Charleston. The park hours are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and there are picnic areas and playground equipments on location. Also, fishing is allowed at Lake Charleston, but the regulations on this activity are included in a brochure that is handed out at the Charleston Park and Recreation Department office.

Murals Around the Square

For a walking activity, there is "Murals around the Square" which spans a three-block area. In 1998, local artists painted walls of downtown buildings into works of art, in order to promote tourism to the square.

Bowling and Mini Golf

Also, students can go to Charleston Lanes for a night of bowling or head over to a Putt-N-Swing for a night of miniature golf and batting cages.

Summer in Charleston hold many possibilities for fun around the town. So, do not hesitate to take advantage of it and make the summer a worthwhile memory.