Five Things: Fish with Mommy; pick flowers for Mom; shop with Mother

Back on Tuesday, when I started thinking about this weekend*, I wrote a note to the editors about what may be in this week’s Five Things column. “Mary’s probably going to geek out over some plant sales.” Yes, I surely do. There’s also some holiday this weekend, if only I could remember what it was...

Get flowers for Mom

▪  Plant experts, aka Master Gardeners, will be on hand at the O’Fallon Garden Club’s spring plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of U.S. 50 and Lincoln in O’Fallon. They’ll have sun and shade perennials and annuals; vegetables and herbs; and garden-themed crafts including gourd birdhouses. Call Harriet Baker at 618-632-5530 or 618-580-5530 for more information.

▪  Lebanon’s May Market Home & Garden Show is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday along the brick street in Lebanon. It’ll have more than 60 vendors, including those with spring flowers and plants, and up-cycled furniture, antiques and handmade soap. “Beard products” for the gentlemen and bouncy houses for those who fit. Musical entertainment for all includes Shakey Dave from 9 a.m. ’til noon and Robert Wagner from noon ’til 3 p.m.

Land a fish for Mom

I bet mom just loves to watch the kids fish. Belleville Parks and Recreation is having a Fishing Derby from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Bellevue Park in Belleville. Check in starts at 9 a.m.; bring your own pole and bait and try for the prizes that come with the biggest, most, or most unusual catch. It’s open to children ages 4 to 12 who will get hot dogs, chips and a drink; who must be accompanied by an adult.

Shop with Mom

▪  Millstadt’s annual village-wide yard sale has more than 100 residents and businesses signed up to sell from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Stop by the Millstadt Community Center, 102 S. Jefferson, for fortifying free coffee and maps, or purchase breakfast burritos, baked goods or lunch. It’s all presented by the Millstadt Historical Society.

▪  Waterloo has it’s May Market and Music Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Courthouse Square. Live music all day, plus games for the kids; food, retail and small business vendors.

▪  Head to the Benld Civic Center for the “Build Benld Craft Fair & Flea Market” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, with more than 40 vendors. Also homemade lunch items and desserts.

Ask Mom for a ride

Fort de Chartres State Historic Site near Prairie du Rocher is featuring 18th-century games and other activities for kids from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. There’s a Kids Day Auction at 3 p.m., as well.

Or take a ride with Mom

Choose from one of six bicycle rides ranging from 10 to 100 miles in the annual Tour de Stooges. Registration is from 6 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Lebanon High School, and the rides include routes along rural roads. The $30 day of ride adult registration (and $15 for kids 5 to 12; $75 for a family of four plus $10 per child) includes Three Stooges selfies, an all-you-can-eat buffet from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and all the Three Stooges videos you can handle, nyuk-nyuk-nyuk. Register online or get more information at tourdestooges.org. All proceeds go toward Gateway East Trails and efforts to build trails in Eastern St. Clair County.

About that holiday ...

Moms in the metro-east don’t fit tidily into the above categories. For instance, some might like to see a fire demonstration at the Villa Hills Fire Department’s Open House (fire at noon Saturday, open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.); or head to the Spring Farm Day at Willoughby Heritage Farm in Collinsville (10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday); or bring a kite to Joe Glik Park in Edwardsville to be part of the statewide kite fly (9 a.m. to noon Saturday); or enjoy the Global Brew Spring Beer Festival at Three Springs Park in Shiloh (11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday).

You could also let her sleep well past oh-dark-thirty on Sunday. Mom would like that.

* Like you, I really started thinking about this weekend sometime last Sunday afternoon.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 10:07 AM with the headline "Five Things: Fish with Mommy; pick flowers for Mom; shop with Mother."