Last year, the Observer Reporter held the first “Kids Fest” with an attendance of around 12,000 people. This year, they will be holding the second annual Kids Fest at the Washington Crown Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 25.
Admission for Kids Fest is free and, despite its name, the event is open for all age groups, however it is mainly deigned for families. The event will be holding an outlet of activities including a bounce house, magician and special appearance by the Pirate Parrot.
The Observer Reporter collaborated with the Pittsburgh Pirates to have the local mascot attend and will also be holding the Bucaroos Kid’s Club [BKC]. The BKC is an organization for children under fourteen and young fans to earn credits by attending Pirate’s home games with the opportunity to be a part of on-field experiences and other special events.
Carole DeAngelo, director of marketing for the Observer Reporter, says this year, an expansion of the entertainment lineup, including the Pirate Parrot, is phenomenal.
“Every business that participates will have some type of interactive activity at their table for children, so it’s not only beneficial for parents but it’s also really fun for the kids,” said DeAngelo.
In addition to the Pirate Parrot appearance, there will be a variety of vendors and local organizations set up with crafts and other hands on activities for kids and their families to participate in. Local organizations like Kona Ice and Moschetta Performing Arts Center will be there as vendors for the event.
Kids Fest is sponsored by Peoples Gas, a North Shore Gas Company. According to Brittney Bonazza, Marketing Strategist of the Observer Reporter, they reached out to Peoples for the sponsorship.
“We reached out to them and talked to them about the event and the ways that it impacted the community and they wanted to be a part of it as a sponsor,” said Bonazza.
The event is giving back to the community by collecting items for the Greater Washington County food bank. Additionally, there will be a chance to win a Lilliput Playhouse, valued at over $5,000 with one free entry. Additional entries may be applied from one entry for $1, $5 for six entries or $10 for 15 entries. The proceeds from the entries will go towards the program Blessings in a Backpack.
Although it was Bonazza’s first year in her position during last year’s Kids Fest, she said the event is something worth attending.
“It was the first time there was an event like this in the community, so we’re very excited about it and it is a great event for kids and family to come to,” said Bonazza.
The most popular events within last year’s event was meeting Snow Princesses Elsa and Anna from Frozen. In addition, the Wild World of Animals wildlife show is expected to remain popular according to Bonazza.
DeAngelo said that the events created are inspired by researching on other local events to get inspiration and a sense of what the kids enjoy. During the winter months, DeAngelo said that parents are looking for fun activities for children to participate in.
“This event for me is the most fulfilling for me because it does involve children and their families and on a personal note, as a parent I know that I would look for different activities or entertainment on weekends,” said DeAngelo.
DeAngelo aspires to give back to the community as a personal goal while receiving positive feedback from the community.
“One of our main goals at the Observer is that our events will be free and really inviting to the public – as a parent, it is extremely important to me and I really want to see that our community supports what we’re doing,” said DeAngelo “the community answered our call for support with resounding success and the reason is because there are so many things for children to do.”