NEPM Kids Day!
NEPM Kids Day!
Saturday, Oct. 22
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Court Square, Springfield
A favorite for families with young children, NEPM Kids Day! returns to downtown Springfield on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in a new location — Court Square. The event celebrates beloved PBS Kids characters and invites children to get ready for Halloween by attending in costume. Children who arrive in costume can be entered in a drawing to win a Sesame Street Lego set.
Suggested donation: $5/kids, $10/adults and $20/family (up to 3 kids) and includes vouchers for a free serving of Friendly’s ice cream.
First 500 families to register get a free NEPM Kids Day T-shirt!
REGISTER HEREEvent Schedule
10-10:20 a.m. — Meet Curious George at the Gazebo
10 a.m.-3 p.m. — Screenings of PBS Kids shows Rosie's Rules, Alma's Way and Daniel Tiger at the Stand Out Truck Theater
10:15-10:45 a.m. — Bombas De Aqui at the Stage
10:25-10:55 a.m. — Meet Daniel Tiger at the Gazebo
10:30 a.m. — Jeanne Birdsall and Jane Dyer bring felted friends and read from "Teaflet & Roog Make a Mess" at The Odyssey Bookshop Tent
11-11:35 a.m. — Meet Curious George at the Gazebo
11:30 a.m. — Leslea Newman with Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto read "Alicia and the Hurricane" at The Odyssey Bookshop Tent
11-11:45 a.m. — Zara Bode + Company at the Stage
11:40 a.m.-12:15 p.m. — Meet Curious George at the Gazebo
12-12:30 p.m. — Youthful Expressions at the Stage
12:30-12:55 pm. — Meet Curious George at the Gazebo
12:45-1:15 p.m. — Rag Shag costume parade around Court Square
1-1:30 p.m. — Meet Daniel Tiger at the Gazebo
1-2 p.m. — Zara Bode + Company at the Stage
1:30-2 p.m. — Meet Curious George at the Gazebo
2-2:30 p.m. — WBUR's Circle Round Podcast featuring artists Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis at the Stage
2:15-2:35 p.m. — Meet Daniel Tiger at the Gazebo
The stars of the event — Curious George and Daniel Tiger — will meet, greet and take selfies with their avid young fans. A pop-up book shop from South Hadley’s Odyssey Bookshop will present readings and book signings with local children’s book authors and illustrators Jane Dyer, Jeanne Birdsall and Leslea Newman. Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis will engage kids with delightful folktales from the Circle Round podcast.
Live entertainment will include performances by Zara Bode and Co., Springfield’s Youthful Expressions dance troupe, and Granby’s Bomba de Aquí. Marshall Escamilla will demonstrate the fun science-learning method of the Tumble podcast. Leslea Newman and former mayor of Puerto Rico, Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto will read Newman's “Alicia and the Hurricane in Spanish and English.
The Stand Out Truck will play clips of “Curious George,” “Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood," and “Rosie's Rules,” the new PBS Kids show that debuted earlier this month. Springfield's Urban Wizards Academy will perform its signature magic. Curious George and musicians from the Community Music School of Springfield will lead everyone in a festive parade around Court Square. Families will be able to enjoy fun and educational activities from the Springfield City Library, the Hispanic-American Library, the Community Music School of Springfield, the Springfield Education Association, the Springfield Federation of Para-professionals, the Springfield Symphony, the Children’s Learning and Development Lab at Amherst College, TickReport, Springfield College’s Arts in the Community, the UMass Amherst Center at Springfield's Healthy Development Initiative, Springfield Cultural Partnership, the Trust Transfer Project, the Springfield Armory, the Gándara Center, and the Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary.
Volunteer on NEPM Kids Day!
We are looking for a few dozen volunteers to make this event run smoothly! Roles include:
- Setting up and hanging signs and banners
- Manning the temporary tattoo booth and helping other partners with their activities
- Managing the lines for photos with our characters
- Welcoming folks at the gates
- Leading the kids costume parade
- Breaking down and packing up once all the fun is done!
NEPM Kids Day is sponsored by Peoples Bank, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, Friendly's, Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, and PBS Kids.
Additional funding and support is provided by Country Bank, the City of Springfield, the Springfield Cultural Council, AM Lithography, Pine Cone Hill, and The Odyssey Bookshop.
Many thanks to our cultural and educational partners.