(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

getting families out

Children’s Festival attracts thousands upon return for 16th year

Jun 3, 2022 | 2:51 PM

The 16th annual Central Alberta Children’s Festival is back this weekend, after two years away due to the pandemic.

As many as 5,000 people could go through Rotary Recreation Park (4501-47A Avenue Red Deer) by the time Saturday is done.

Judy Scott, executive director with Family Services of Central Alberta (FSCA), and festival coordinator, says it’s been worth the wait to see kids and families back laughing, playing and engaging.

“We know play is so important for community and our wellbeing. We want to support learning through play, and that means lots of our activities are cultural, we have artists, and professional entertainers,” Scott told rdnewsNOW at the festival’s first day.

“FSCA, which puts this on, is here in the community to support families with whatever their needs are, and we think this festival does the same. Families are out here getting to know community agencies and organizations.”

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Around 25 schools sent buses of kids to the festival on Friday, which runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Also in attendance are nine refugee families recently arrived from Afghanistan, each of whom were given complimentary tickets to the event.

Judy Scott, executive director with Family Services of Central Alberta (FSCA), and festival coordinator. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“We’re also trying to teach kids a little bit of financial literacy this year,” says Scott. “Gate admission gets you 12 tickets to the Snack Market, and kids have to choose between chips, oranges, Bearpaws and Goldfish. Instead of the Imagination Station, this year we have Imaginate, which includes local artists showing off different types of crafts, plus digital art, rock painting and landscape painting.”

The lineup also includes Juno award-nominated Beppie, and Edmonton’s The Joe Show, plus there’s laser tag and yoga to partake in, among other things.

FSCA, which puts on the event but doesn’t financially benefit from it, other than it uses profits to put on next year’s festival, helps about 3,000 to 4,000 people each year.

Services range from family counselling to the ABCs of Financial Literacy, prenatal classes for teens and young women, Taming Worry Dragons, and much more. More information is available at fsca.ca.

More information about the Central Alberta Children’s Festival is at centralalbertachildrensfestival.ca.