Family Farm and Home is a retail chain offering tools, hardware, automotive products, pet supplies, work clothing, casual wear as well as footwear as well as lawn and garden equipment, and alternative heating sources. As a privately held company, it does not accept outside investors.
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Cereal Festival
As this charismatic riverside city is commonly known, Cereal City hosts many exciting festivals and attractions that draw crowds of all kinds to Battle Creek’s vibrant nightlife and breathtaking natural beauty. Renowned for its many parks, mesmerizing rivers, and tranquil lakes, Battle Creek also boasts a rich history and culture to match its incredible natural beauty.
The National Cereal Festival takes place each June in downtown Battle Creek and celebrates Battle Creek as the birthplace of cereal production, drawing visitors for over 50 years. Attractions include complimentary breakfast, magic shows, musical entertainment, and inflatable bounce houses.
The World’s Longest Breakfast Table is an annual tradition at this event. Comprised of tables arranged end-to-end to form one long table and serviced by volunteers, the table is stocked with Kellogg’s and Post products such as Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, Rice Krispies and Golden Crisp – plus much more!
Historic Bridge Park
The Historic Bridge Park is the first public park of its kind in the US and doubles as both an outdoor museum and public space for recreation and enjoyment. Featuring six historically restored bridges that had to be moved due to no longer serving their original purpose, these bridges provide visitors an enjoyable way to experience nature while walking through.
This park is an ideal venue for families with young children, featuring amenities such as a pavilion that can seat up to 50 people, two large picnic tables and four grills close to it, electricity, mens and women’s restrooms within walking distance, river access with an EZ-dock dock and playground as well as hiking/walking trails.
Calhoun County Trail boasts a scenic lake, a boat launch on Kalamazoo River, and an old railroad overpass that makes up its 5.3-mile length. History enthusiasts can visit Michigan’s Historic Adventist Village, an authentic recreation of 19th-century community living that includes log cabins, family estates, one-room schoolhouses, and an Ascension Rock replica where Millerite Adventists waited patiently for Christ to return.
Leila Arboretum
Leila Post Montgomery donated 72 acres to Battle Creek in 1922 to create a park as an oasis for both culture and nature. Today, this vision lives on as the Leila Arboretum is an aesthetic natural landmark in southwest Michigan, boasting blooming tulips, lilacs, and weeping cherries – perfect for picnics or strolls through its scenic paths.
The park’s meticulously maintained trees are especially striking during fall when visitors can hear crunching leaves beneath their feet. Viewers can admire this breathtaking scene from either of its landmarks: an old museum building and pavilion perched atop Fragrant Hill.
The park features a tranquil labyrinth, kid-friendly Kaleidoscope Garden, and Fantasy Forest filled with unique wood carvings – popular spots during the warmer summer months when temperatures cool enough for disc golf in the tree canopy. There’s also a flash flood water park open from Memorial Day through Labor Day that thrill seekers and families can visit, not forgetting other attractions like Battle Creek Children’s Museum, W.K. Kellogg Manor House, and downtown community as family attractions.
Flash Flood Water Park
Flash Flood Water Park at Full Blast recreational facility is an excellent destination for families to spend an enjoyable summer day, offering indoor and outdoor water facilities for guests of all ages. Open between Memorial Day and Labor Day, special discounts for family passes can also be availed here.
Outdoor pools boast two 200ft water slides and zero-depth entry pools designed for children of all ages to enjoy, in addition to water playgrounds, wave pools, and lazy rivers. Admission costs $12 per person, with children two years old or younger admitted for free; outdoor pool hours last all summer and can be found online or at recreation centers near you. Admission for adults costs $12, while two and younger enter for free. Admission prices vary for different facilities, but children under two may join for free! If crowds become an issue, consider getting either an individual or family summer pass; which comes equipped with ID for entry as well as a tote bag with four water bottles each and coupons as identification from outdoor pool ID along with tote bag for toting water bottles from four water bottles each and coupons included inside; these passes may also save time when entering and exiting out before entering or at recreation centers!
Ott Biological Preserve
Calhoun County owns many unique natural areas, with the Ott Biological Preserve among them. Offering public access for hiking and wildlife observation as well as viewing plants. Boasting two spring-fed kettle lakes, wetlands, and ridged uplands with mature hardwood forests comprising black, red, and white oaks, pignut hickories, and spicebush. Furthermore, globally threatened wetland habitats known as prairie fens are also found here.
This tranquil Preserve is in danger of becoming an intensive construction zone. The private Trailway Alliance has announced plans to alter the dynamics of our last naturally developed County-owned Preserve by creating a 14-foot-wide bituminous road trail.
They have devised plans that are both environmentally destructive and unnecessarily costly for taxpayers, failing to consider running their proposed route along an already cleared Consumers Energy right-of-way along Ott’s west boundary, thus avoiding most sensitive areas in the Preserve, thus providing a much cheaper solution.
Battle Creek Air Show & Balloon Festival
Battle Creek will come alive during the Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival! As North America’s largest combined air show and balloon festival, this four-day festival boasts four days of air show action and over 50 hot-air balloons! Additionally, two impressive fireworks shows, carnival booths, and Kids Day activities are planned throughout.
Highlights of the air show include the F-22 Raptor Demo Team and top civilian aerobatic pilots; the Chase Crew Pit Stop competition is a must-see event that tests balloon teams’ skills as they race to inflate, pack up and retrieve their balloons within a limited amount of time – mesmerizing fireworks display in combination with fantastic balloon displays make this night air show genuinely unique.
The event is held annually at W.K. Kellogg Airport in the Breakfast Capital of the World – Wichita Falls. RV camping is available so attendees can comfortably experience performances and fireworks displays while staying comfortable within their own mobile homes on wheels.
Battle Creek Children’s Museum
The Battle Creek Children’s Museum provides children with an interactive learning experience through exhibits. Kids can climb into a soldier’s equipment pack to experience its weight or stand at the podium where President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. At the same time, story scavenger hunts are offered, and engaging living historians provide additional educational value.
This museum at 175 Limit Street features exhibits on natural history, science, and world cultures. Admission to the exhibitions is free; however, the planetarium show costs $2. Homeschooled children can attend and access educational materials for in-person and virtual learning experiences.
This museum is the largest in Texas and employs 16 staff members. Annual revenue exceeds $193,143, with assets totaling $586,238. Their mission is to provide children and their families with an engaging learning environment that supports self-sufficiency, responsibility, and tolerance in their everyday lives.
Battle Creek Zoo
If you enjoy exotic animals like lions, giraffes, and bears, then the Battle Creek Zoo may be for you. Home to an extensive array of alien species and one of Michigan’s premier zoos – with an expansive petting zoo section where visitors can touch and feed animals – this zoo lies near Battle Creek on 433 acres – it will not disappoint visitors who visit!
As well as housing animal exhibits, the zoo features the American Museum of Magic, which boasts a collection of magical artifacts and memorabilia open to public viewing – admission is free!
The Battle Creek Zoo is home to many animals and is a top-rated family attraction in Michigan. It offers petting zoo services as well as numerous activities for kids. Furthermore, this zoo has received the accreditation of both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Federation of Zoos and Aquariums.
City Kids Day
Battle Creek has earned the moniker “Cereal City,” but this Southwestern Michigan metropolis offers much more to families. The vibrant downtown community boasts art galleries, charming restaurants, and plenty of shopping. Families can also explore Battle Creek via one of its many paved bike and walking paths throughout its neighborhoods.
At Leila Arboretum, visitors can stroll through various gardens and walkways – such as the kid-friendly Kaleidoscope Garden and Fantasy Forest. History buffs will appreciate Monument Park, which includes Sojourner Truth’s statue and a historical marker detailing Battle Creek’s role in the Underground Railroad; nature enthusiasts will relish Ott Biological Preserve, where plenty of woodsy terrains can be discovered.
