Twin Falls City Park drew families from across Magic Valley on Saturday, July 18, when two popular community events ran side by side — one celebrating youth creativity and the other celebrating summer’s favorite treat.
Kids Art in the Park Gives Young Students a Half-Day of Creative Instruction
The Magic Valley Arts Council presented its annual Kids Art in the Park program, offering a structured half-day of fine arts instruction for children ranging from preschool age through ninth grade. Rather than mixing all ages together, organizers divided students by grade level, allowing instructors to tailor lessons to each developmental stage.
Each group rotated through four separate 30-minute workshops covering a range of artistic disciplines, including painting, sculpture, folk art, assemblage, and collage. Local art instructors, classroom teachers, and community volunteers led the sessions, giving students hands-on exposure to techniques they might not encounter in a typical school year.
The event reflects a broader effort across Twin Falls County to keep youth engaged in enriching activities during the summer months, when structured programming can be harder to find. For many of the younger participants, it was likely their first introduction to artistic forms like assemblage and folk art — disciplines that blend cultural tradition with hands-on creativity.
Rotary Club’s Ice Cream Funday Brings Friendly Competition and Community Giving
Just steps away from the art stations, the Rotary Club of Twin Falls hosted its Ice Cream Funday, with 15 local organizations setting up booths to offer ice cream samples to the public. The event doubled as a community fundraiser, with proceeds distributed to area nonprofits.
Several participating organizations brought memorable presentations along with their frozen offerings. St. Luke’s Magic Valley served up a Fruity Pebbles cereal-based ice cream while staff dressed in costumes reminiscent of characters from The Flintstones, drawing crowds and plenty of laughter from younger attendees. Stover, Gadd & Associates PLLC leaned into creativity with a flavor called “Convict Crunch,” one of several entries designed as much for entertainment as for taste.
The crowd favorite, however, was GSE Construction, whose Blackberry Clarifier Swirl earned the top vote for best flavor of the event. The win comes with a lasting reward — Stella’s will feature the Blackberry Clarifier Swirl as its August Flavor of the Month, giving GSE Construction’s creation a broader audience well beyond the park grounds.
The pairing of a competition-style ice cream tasting with charitable fundraising has become a hallmark of Rotary events across Idaho. Twin Falls residents have long supported the club’s community outreach efforts, and the turnout at City Park on Saturday appeared to reflect continued enthusiasm for that tradition.
City Park Remains a Hub for Twin Falls Community Life
The back-to-back programming at City Park on July 18 underscored the park’s ongoing role as a gathering point for Twin Falls families. Whether through seasonal youth programs or fundraising events tied to local civic clubs, the park consistently serves as the backdrop for some of the community’s most well-attended summer activities.
Events like these also highlight the depth of volunteerism in Magic Valley. From art instructors giving their Saturday morning to guide children through sculpture workshops, to business professionals dressing in costume to serve ice cream for charity, the July 18 programming depended heavily on community members willing to donate their time and energy.
For families looking for other ways to engage with Twin Falls community offerings this summer, the Twin Falls Senior Center recently launched a Walk-a-Thon aimed at restoring meal delivery services, and Twin Falls Animal Control has been working closely with residents to reunite stray dogs with their owners before the animals reach the shelter.
What Comes Next
Ice cream fans in Twin Falls will have a chance to revisit the winning flavor when Stella’s rolls out the Blackberry Clarifier Swirl as its August Flavor of the Month — a direct result of GSE Construction’s victory at the Rotary Club competition. For families who missed Kids Art in the Park, the Magic Valley Arts Council is expected to continue programming through the summer and into the fall season. Residents can watch for announcements from the council and the Rotary Club of Twin Falls regarding future events at City Park.