The Children’s Festival, sponsored by Gold Country Kiwanis, will be hosting their annual event on Friday, July 21st, at Pioneer Park in Nevada City. The Festival will immerse the children in the culture of the Renaissance period through art, music, and entertainment.
There will be approximately 20 craft tables for children to create their own Renaissance-themed works of art, including crowns, shields, magic wands, tunics. They can do woodworking, stone carving, painting, and much more. There will be a variety of Renaissance characters, including a queen, a knight in shining armor, a wizard, and a troll guarding the bridge. There will be music, magic, and other activities, including Pirate School, catapults, and a gigantic castle maze the kids can paint inside and out.
The Festival has two sessions. The morning session will be from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and the evening event will be from 5-8 p.m. Fee for the event is $3.00.
We are also seeking volunteers to help out on the day of the Festival. If you’d like to be part of this magical event, please contact Judi Mosley at childfesthelpers@gmail.com.
About the Children’s Festival
The park is transformed into a lively Renaissance Faire for children with over twenty arts and crafts tables, strolling minstrels, face-painters, a bridge-guarding troll, a bevy of faeries, Pepper the Witch, Pyrate Skool, medieval fencing, spinning demonstrations, and Queen Elizabeth and her court.
The Children’s Festival has become one of the premiere summer events for children, with over 2000 children and adults attending. All who attend leave with fond memories and many of the children who attended in the 1970’s and 80’s are now returning with their own children.
Founded in 1971 by Pat Cobler and Ilse Barnhart, the Children’s Festival continued as an annual summer event for 19 years. It was revived in 2003 as a memorial tribute to Ilse Barnhart.
At the festival, children make their own costumes, swords, shields, crowns, macaroni necklaces and magic wands. They engage in wood block construction, soapstone carving, magic art, Renaissance rubbings, solar art and clay modeling. There are catapults and a medieval castle available for all to paint. There is an entertainment stage with performances throughout the day. Each session ends with the Queen’s Procession and Festival Parade, and all attendees are invited to participate. Costumes are encouraged!
The festival is sponsored by Gold Country Kiwanis and many local businesses – and is made possible by the more than 200 local volunteers who work tirelessly to bring this unique event to the children of Nevada County.
For further information check out their website at thechildrensfestival.com.