Summer has officially arrived – make the most of the time off school and the sun with a Cape Girardeau summer bucket list packed with fun!

Wednesday nights through the end of July, the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band puts on a free concert at the bandshell in Capaha Park.  Bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket and enjoy the music of the band’s 115th season.

Beat the heat at Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center – with 5 brand new slides opening up the season, the whole family can cool off from the summer heat!

Enjoy a picnic – we rounded up some of our favorite picnic spots in and around Cape Girardeau, check it out here.

Feed the ducks at Capaha Park‘s lagoon; the fun loop around the pond has engaging activities for kiddos.

See what’s in season at one of Cape Girardeau’s two farmers markets. Thursdays from Noon – 5 p.m. behind West Park Mall, is the Cape Farmer’s Market, and the Cape Riverfront Market is found in downtown Cape Girardeau on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. – noon.

Drop in a line at the Nature Center‘s kids fishing pond; you can check out a kid’s fishing rod and bait from the Nature Center at no charge.

Go to the zoo, right here in Cape Girardeau – Lazy L Safari Park is a walk through zoo with over 60 species of exotic animals.

When it’s just too hot out, try an air-conditioned bounce house day at LeBounce or Orange Monkey, both with indoor inflatable fun for hours.

Set off on a bike ride, either on the paved Cape LaCroix Recreation Trail, or venture onto the city streets on two wheels with this handy interactive map courtesy of the City of Cape Girardeau.

Play a round of putt putt at Arena Golf.

What snow cone flavor combos can you come up with at Ty’s?

Take a road trip! Sainte Genevieve, Perryville and Sikeston are less than an hour away.

Watch Civil War history come to life at Fort D at 4th at the Fort or at Labor Day at Fort D.

Kick back and watch the barges head up and down river at the Old Bridge Overlook Park or at Cape Rock.

Scoop up a frozen treat at one of Cape Girardeau’s ice cream shops.

Discovery Playhouse is a children’s museum where little ones can spend a day exploring the many interactive exhibits!

The Cape Public Library is more than just a place to check out books – video games, puppet theatres, comfy chairs for reading and much more promise an afternoon of entertainment.

Try your hand at a game of disc golf at the courses in Capaha Park and Cape County Park North.

Get the most out of summer in Cape Girardeau – share your summertime fun, tag your pictures with #ExploreCape!