“Mom, let’s go see the River Guy! I want to see the River Guy! He shook my hand and.… he sat next to me.… and and and he put his arm around me! I like the River Guy, mom.”
That is the excitement of a 2.5 year old little boy. That is one of my favorite things ever to witness. And that is why I love going to see the Rockford Riverhawks play!
Their mascot is fondly referred to as the River Guy in our house. He’s a big bird and he’s Ryan’s new BFF.
I grew up in Rockford and we’ve had a number of baseball teams over the years. The Riverhawks are a minor-league team that has been around here since 2002, I think. The new stadium in NE Rockford is awesome and looks really nice:
This time, I went with my two kids and my mom – we had a great time (even though the Riverhawks were murdered… 15 to 1!!). Our seats were super close, the weather was beautiful, their was a fireworks show after the game, and… there was Ryan’s second favorite part, the playground:
The first time I went to a Riverhawks game, I was nervous about how it’d go with my toddler. I mean, he can get antsy especially when we are in one spot for a long time – what kid doesn’t? So I was beyond excited to see the playground! It’s really nice, too. There are even two bounce houses. I actually thought we’d never get out of there, haha. But what finally pulled Ryan away? The food!
My kids really had a great time. The Riverhawks season is over, but I can’t wait to go to more games next year. It’s a GREAT place to take a family, it’s awesome for kids, and they have plenty of picnic tables and tents for groups to sit while eating or whatever. That was really nice for us too – to not have to try to eat at our seats with the little children!
Rockford really has a ton of great things for families, you could easily spend a family weekend here. Want ideas? Just ask me 
Do you like taking your family out to baseball games?
You can follow the Riverhawks fun on twitter and facebook.
disclosure: the IOT provided me with complimentary tickets to attend this game, but no compensation was received and all opinions and photos are my own!
It looks like y’all had a blast! Great photos too!
[Reply]
Great pictures! What a sweet story about your 2 yr old with the mascot
We tried taking our 14 month old to a football game this past weekend. He enjoyed the crowds and the cheering but when it was time to sit in our seats we had to head out or the people around us would be getting kicked in the back for the next two hours haha. Maybe next year!
[Reply]
Your children are adorable! I loved taking my kids places that were exciting and different when they were small — it was like seeing it all anew. It looks like you had a great time.
[Reply]
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww that is so cute! These are some adorable photos btw. <3 it.
[Reply]
Super cute post and I loved all of the great pictures. Great job!!!!!
[Reply]
Too cute. I love how excited kids get about stuff like that!
[Reply]
Wow! You had such a fun day! You never know with those mascots…the kids are either going to love them or be terrified.
[Reply]
Oh, how much fun! Our local baseball games are not like that at all! I want to come to one of yours!
[Reply]
Looks like you had a wonderful time! I still need to take my daughter out to the ball game. Such a great family activity!
[Reply]