August is National Family Fun Month! So this week I’m bringing you lots of fun, family friendly things to do this month.

Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, the floodwaters have receded and the Hiawatha is back in the river. Tuesdays in August are family nights on the Hiawatha. Join them for a good old-fashioned ice cream social while you cruise down the Susquehanna River. They have a make your own sundae bar that includes: vanilla ice cream, sprinkles, mini M&Ms, crushed Oreo’s, peanuts, cherries, chocolate/caramel/strawberry sauce, and whipped cream! Sundae included in the ticket price. On the upper deck, be entertained by interactive close up magic with Brent Kessler. You’ll be speechless as cards, coins, and other objects seem to come to life in Brent’s hands! August 29th they will have a Princess Cruise! This is all in addition to their daily public cruises, so get out and enjoy some time on the river!

Take a trip over 15 to Reptiland. Not only do they have amazing animal exhibits, but you have to check out the Dinosaurs Come to Life feature! Dinosaurs Come to Life is a prehistoric outdoor adventure! See life-size animatronic dinosaurs roar, spit and bellow as you trek through this exciting educational exhibit. The exhibit features a whole Tyrannosaurus rex family, a Parasaurolophus nest and more. Five static dinosaurs, a climbable model for picture-taking and a recreated paleontologist dig site add to the fun, yet informative, nature of the exhibit.

If you want to learn more about the history of Williamsport, consider a Trolley Tour. The Williamsport Trolley Tour is an hour and a half ride through Williamsport’s areas of interest, featuring Millionaire’s Row. See the impressive mansions built by the lumber barons of days gone by and learn the rich history of the lumber capital of the world! Other highlights of the tour include Memorial Park where the first Little League Baseball game was played and Brandon Park.

Speaking of Brandon Park…

Head to the bandshell on Sunday evenings for the city’s free summer concert series. Someone new plays every Sunday at 6:00 p.m. throughout the summer. It’s a great way to get the kids out of the house and see some great local live music.

Knoebel’s is always a great day trip for families. So many fun rides for kids and adults, a ton of great food, beautiful scenery and free admission, make it the perfect summer stop!

If you are looking for a couple of hours of fun, be sure to check out Hoopla’s and FlyWorld. Both offer fun for kids of all ages to fill a few hours! Who doesn’t love trampolines and mini-golf?

Summer isn’t summer without baseball! So be sure to root for the home team and go see the Crosscutters play. The improvements to the stadium are great and nothing is better than peanuts and crackerjacks at a game. I’m sorry, I’ll stop with the puns now…

As always, First Friday downtown is always great for families. There are great vendors, plenty of art to be found, activities for kids and lots of entertainment.

Want to get some exercise with the fam while supporting a great local cause? Consider joining the Lifland Skate Park Radical Ride. Lifland Skatepark is hosting a Community Bicycle Ride to support the expansion and maintenance of its facility in Elm Park. Help them build a brighter future with a bigger skatepark! This event will be open to anyone and everyone with bicycles, skateboards and scooters and will run from Pine Street in Downtown Williamsport to Lifland Skatepark via Fourth Street. Riders will return downtown via Third Street. Approximately 4.5 miles total. Families and people of all ages are encouraged to participate. Registration will be from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at The Harvest Emporium and Gallery at 46 1/2 West Fourth Street, next to Alabaster Coffee. Riders will congregate on Pine Street to meet and greet, show off their rides and enjoy the music, food, artists and vendors that will also be on hand at Williamsport’s August First Saturday Celebration running concurrently. $5 donation at the event. Donations can also be made through PayPal at liflandskatepark@gmail.com. Questions? Email them at liflandskatepark@gmail.com. Children 12 and under must wear a helmet and be accompanied by an adult. All other state and local bicycle laws apply.

If you want something new to try, consider a family movie at Bastress Mountain Winery. All summer they are doing family movie night on their lawn. Check out their Facebook page for dates and movies.

Of course, we can’t forget that the Little League World Series starts on August 16th. Williamsport will welcome the world, and again, there is no better summer pastime than baseball, so grab some cardboard and be sure to slide down the hill before you catch a game.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that LaFesta is this weekend at the Sons of Italy. This Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Sons will bring you their Italian Festival. Games, bands, vendors and of course, great Italian food will be available. You may even see me wandering around or helping at a booth.

This is a just a short list of fun things that you can do with your family this month. You can also stay home and enjoy a family game night, or craft night, or just a good old fashioned family dinner. Just be sure to have some family fun this month!