In case you have never considered such an outing, we are here to fill you in on why planning an outing to the Riggs Beergarden is a great option next time you’re looking to do something with the kids

Many key details contribute to Riggs being a family-friendly venue, making it a great place to venture any time of year

Many of us have not had the opportunity to travel to Europe with our young children, but if we had, we would have had a chance to experience some of the subtleties of daily life that seem foreign to us here in the U.S. One of these things would be the integration of life with kids into spaces in which adults would like to be spending their time; as a couple, with friends or family, multi-generationally and the list goes on and on. Playgrounds next to cafes, pubs or beer gardens are common place.

While we don’t live in Germany or Spain, we are fortunate to have such a place to visit right here in Champaign-Urbana that seems to hit on all of these elements. Riggs Beergarden is a great option to visit with your kids along for the ride.

For most of the last decade, the Riggs family has been cultivating the dream of not only brewing fantastic beer from Central Illinois grain but creating a space where families enjoy some casual and relaxing outdoor time. The Riggs taproom has plenty of indoor seating, but the star of the property shines in the outdoor beergarden.

Seeing children run around the playground and leashed dogs happily wagging their tails are common sights at Riggs and contribute to the overall atmosphere. Open Thursday-Sunday each week, Riggs often has food trucks set up at the entrance to the beergarden (calendar can be found here). Being able to count on getting a meal while visiting Riggs helps families plan the timing of their visit.

Something that Champaign-Urbana area families may not know is that it is FREE to reserve tables for your group. This makes Riggs a great choice for bridal/baby showers (yes, really!), birthday parties, anniversaries and a variety of other special events.

Some families visit Riggs during Christmas Market season. Riggs puts together quite the traditional German Christmas Market for four weeks each holiday season. With a number of food stands inside the beergarden and vendors everywhere, this makes our holiday bucket list for families year after year. Taking the opportunity to see beyond the holidays and how to enjoy Riggs year round is a natural extension of what we enjoy about the Christmas Market.

The idea of having children at a beer-centric location may be one that still seems foreign to you, but after visiting Riggs on a sunny day, grabbing lunch at a food truck and handing the kids a root beer from the bar, we predict you’ll see what the hype is about. Little kids love to play on the playset and the older kids find it to be a great place to hang out and spend their time, too. We have always (always!) seen children playing on every visit to Riggs.

The Riggs family has put a lot of effort into making this a family-friendly establishment and you can expect its care and concern to make it a great choice for your crew.