Kids Fest is fun for all ages

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Lily Gibson, 6, of Traverse City, jumps onto a tire to force air pressure into a rocket she made at the Great Lakes Children's Museum stomp rocket setup during the Traverse City Film Festival Kids Festival at Central Grade School on Friday. Record-Eagle/Keith King
Jacob Harrison, 5, of Leland, makes bubbles along with Jack Enwright, left, 6, of Birmingham, as Ellianna Hansen, right, 1, stands near during the Traverse City Film Festival Kids Festival at Central Grade School on Friday. Record-Eagle/Keith King

July 30, 2011

Attendee: 'It's so nice that they have attractions for kids'

BY MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS mdrahos@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Sat Jul 30, 2011, 07:14 AM EDT

TRAVERSE CITY — Samantha Steinebach and Salina Gillner patiently waited as the children in their care had their faces painted, and then snapped photos of the results.

It was the third day in a row that the Salvation Army summer day-camp counselors brought their charges to the Traverse City Film Festival's Kids Fest.

"We took a vote today to go to the beach or come here, and they wanted to come here," said Gillner, one of six camp counselors who chaperoned youngsters at the festival on Friday. "It's so awesome that people offer all this stuff, and free."

The festival-within-a-festival takes place through Sunday at Central Grade School on the corner of Seventh and Pine streets. At 9 a.m. a family-friendly film plays for $1 at the school's Lars Hockstad Auditorium. Beginning at 10 a.m., the lawn outside the school is transformed into a fantasy land, with fun and educational activities staged at separate stations for an entire block.

"Every day is a different theme, with different guests and a take-home craft," said Film Festival public relations intern Jenni Omness.

Activities range from making beaded bracelets that change color with the sun — a reminder to put on more sunscreen — to assembling 6-inch cherry crumb pies to take home and bake, to decorating Frisbees.

"Even babies were doing those," said Kids Fest volunteer Jan Schollett.

Besides activities and arts-and-crafts tents, stations include a Balloon Corral, a Bubble Station, Lawn Fun, a Read to Kids Zone, food tents, a Performance Stage and a popular Flip Book Tent where kids can star in their own seven-second video and make a flip book from its frames.

But the main draw is a 125-foot-perimeter "castle" constructed from refrigerator and wardrobe boxes, which doubles as a tunnel kids can crawl through.

"They don't want to come out of there," said Kids Fest Assistant Manager Mark Dragovich. "The last day, Sunday, is 'demo day.' We're going to ask all the kids to come and help tear down the castle."

Kids Fest is put on with the help of 55 sponsors and about 30 volunteers, Dragovich said. The idea for the festival stemmed from another film festival in New York.

"Tribeca had a block festival for families and (TCFF Executive Director Deb Lake) saw how interactive it was," he said. "She wanted to do something like that here. It brings a whole new dimension to the festival."

The Kids Fest is a boon for Williamsburg couple Erin and Troy Curet, parents of two young children.

"It's so nice that they have attractions for kids because for a lot of parents you couldn't participate in the Film Festival," said Erin Curet, as she watched daughter, Marnie, 7, stretch at Yen Yoga for Kids. "We still can't go to adult films, but we can do this, and it changes so you can come every day."

In the Tiny Tots Play Area, Molly Kildee watched son Billy, 9 months, crawl on a padded mat while Maggie Biggar guided daughter Helen, 2, through a wading pool filled with popcorn and plastic shovels.

"We've been down here every day," said Kildee, whose husband, Bill, a financial adviser, sponsors Kids Fest. "It's fun for me to come and interact with the other moms and children because I'm an older mom. I just turned 40 after I had him, so it's not like I have a lot of friends with children."

Liam Clone, 9, sat for a caricature by artist Jill Justin, then glanced at the drawing and rolled it up.

"He can't wait to get back to the airplanes," said grandma Marcia Clone, referring to the Traverse City Model Pilots Society exhibit where Liam played a flight game on a computer.

Nearby, children made paper rockets and launched them by placing them on the end of a tube connected to a soft tire and jumping on the tire. Others watched a candy and carbon beverage explosion called the Mentos Geyser.

Salvation Army day camper McKenna Sanford, 10, liked it all.

"It's fun for kids to see new stuff and learn about things and try new things," she said.