Gaggles of children pulling their parents by the hands will be creating a buzz of laughter, shouts of excitement and singing this Saturday in Okotoks.

Vancouver ventriloquist Kellie Haines and Kamilla the Frog hang out with a new buddy at the Okotoks Youth Festival last year. This year's event takes place June 19 in Ethel Tucker Park if it shines or at the rec centre if it rains. Wheel file photo

The Okotoks Youth Festival kicks off in Ethel Tucker Park after the Spirit of Okotoks parade comes to a conclusion around noon.

The Okotoks Arts Council is hosting the annual event and this year’s fun includes a lineup of arts and craft tables, live music shows, roving entertainers and face painters.

Event organizer Andrea Spiers said the hands-on art projects, face painting and a 36-foot blow-up obstacle course are the backdrop for what promised to be a fun-filled day.

“The kids can come and wear off the energy of sitting at the parade for so long, run around in the park and dance to music,” said Spiers.

The event drew approximately 800 people last year, keeping the park buzzing all afternoon.

“Last year I saw lots of happy people,” said Spiers. “It was families, moms and dads and kids, and they’re all together. It’s a family activity and the parents help out with the crafts and they’re all having a good time.”

Spiers said it’s an inexpensive afternoon for the family. With the $2 entry fee children and their parents are welcome to try all six crafts, get a balloon twisted into whatever they want, get their faces painted, groove to the tunes of musical acts The Bownesians and Juno Award winner Jack Grunsky.

The craft tables are inspired by this year’s parade theme, “Okotoks Volunteers, You Rock.”

Children can stop in at such art stations as Rock Band, and make friendship bracelets with beads, Rock ‘n’ Roll Building, and construct objects from their imaginations using marshmallows and toothpicks.

“Kids build things like you wouldn’t believe with the marshmallows and toothpicks,” said Spiers. “The kids loved that craft last year.”

Each year the Okotoks Arts Council offers a craft table that features a throwback from the days gone by, something children would have made in the past.

This year the craft table is called Rock of Ages and features making a gift card styled after a quilt, using fabric, glue and cardstock.

“We did this craft last year and it’s good, because the next day (June 20) is Father’s Day, so this craft is very popular,” said Spiers.

A concession stand will offer hot dogs, drinks and chips at $1 each to fuel the long artistic and cultural escapade for children.

The annual Okotoks Youth Festival takes place on Saturday, June 19 in Ethel Tucker Park, located west of the library on Riverside Drive.

The crafts and entertainment begin following the parade.

The annual parade, which dates back to the late 1960s, will follow the same route as last year, beginning by Fountain Tire on North Railway Street heading west, then turn south onto Northridge Drive, then east onto Riverside Drive and finish back at Fountain Tire. With features approximately 80 floats, the parade will run from 11 a.m. until approximately noon.

tneely@okotoks.greatwest.ca

0 Click Here to 'Like' this post

 Email This Post  Print This Post