Storm Lake Kids Fest draws 1,400 to Chautauqua Park, treats vanish fast

Roughly 1,400 people turned Chautauqua Park into a packed summer playground for Storm Lake’s fourth annual Kids Fest, and the free frozen treats disappeared almost as quickly as the crowds arrived. The Sunday, June 14, event gave Buena Vista County families a free afternoon of games, hands-on activities and public-safety outreach, with the city and King’s Pointe Resort again backing an event built around younger residents.

About 20 community partners scattered across the park to keep children moving from one stop to the next. Kids could step into Bolton and Menk’s enviro-scape exhibit, look over Tyson Foods’ Mobile Turkey Barn, play soccer inside Summit Church’s inflatable field and visit the Storm Lake Fire Department’s Fire Safety House. The lineup also included magician Mikayla Oz, balloon artist Professor Von Air, local dance performances, face painting, mascots and a new Mini-Train Ride at the Chautauqua Park station.

The biggest hit, though, was the foam pit. When the Storm Lake Police Department handed out its stock of treats, the supply vanished so fast that organizers had to fetch 200 more freezy-pops, and those were gone by 2 p.m. The department usually brings about 1,000 freebies to events, but this year’s crowd emptied the cooler and then some. Afterward, children under 12 could receive wristbands for free admission to King’s Pointe Waterpark, while older kids were offered discounted entry.

The turnout showed how strongly a free, short-format event can draw families across Storm Lake and the rest of Buena Vista County when the activities are varied and easy to access. Children were not just bouncing from booth to booth for fun; they were seeing firefighters, police officers, utility and engineering partners and local performers in the same space, turning a park event into a casual lesson in how the community works. Asked what they liked most, 10 children most often named the foam pit, followed by the fire department exhibit and candy, a simple ranking that matched the crowd’s energy all afternoon.

The fourth Kids Fest also extended the city’s early-summer pattern from 2025, when a similar free noon-to-3 p.m. gathering at Chautauqua Park paired a foam party, inflatable sports games and waterpark admission with the same kind of family crowd. With this year’s turnout meeting the expectation for a big draw, Storm Lake has a format that looks ready to return next summer.