Our Daily Show Interview! Ice Jam at the Dam Set for THIS SATURDAY!
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ALTON - The National Great Rivers Museum will host their annual Ice Jam at the Dam event, complete with animal meet-and-greets, tours of the dam and s’mores.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, community members can stop by NGRM at 2 Lock and Dam Way for their fourth annual free event. This year, vendors and educational booths will be located inside the museum, and the community is invited to learn more about winter recreation and conservation.
“We’ve got some cool stuff, so you should definitely check it out,” said Elise, the event’s coordinator.
There will be several educational partners at the event, including the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Mississippi Water Trail Association, and many more.
Kids are encouraged to complete their “Polar Passes” by visiting every vendor and receiving a stamp; they can turn in their passes for some water safety goodies and a s’more-making kit. There will be bonfires available for marshmallow roasting.
Chris Cahill will provide live music and there will be two food trucks — Pig on a Wing and Traveling Tom’s Coffee — onsite. There will be tours of the lock and dam every 20–30 minutes, and Elise promises that chances are high the tour groups will see eagles.
Treehouse Wildlife Center will bring a few animals for meet-and-greets. St. Louis Blues mascot Louie, Lewis and Clark Community College mascot Blazer, and Army Corps of Engineers mascot Bobber the Water Safety Dog will also be available for photos and hugs starting at noon.
“The little ones really love the mascots,” Elise said. “Any and every age this will be appropriate for, even little bitties. Hopefully they can get a s’more or two and see some cool stuff.”
Elise added that it was important to NGRM to provide the event at no cost. They want to welcome as many people as possible, and so they decided to do away with ticketed activities. The food trucks will cost money, but everything else is completely free.
“We want it to be as accessible to everyone as possible,” Elise said. “Making it free really helps with that.”
Elise and the rest of the National Great Rivers Museum staff hope to see many new and familiar faces at the event on Saturday, Feb. 15. For more information about Ice Jam at the Dam, you can visit the official Facebook event page or the National Great Rivers Museum website at mtrf.org.
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