The TCFF Kids Fest launches this year from Wednesday, July 27, through Sunday, July 31, on the beautiful lawn outside the newly renovated Lars Hockstad Auditorium. Families are invited to enjoy daily $1 family films at 9 am, and to join our gigantic Family Lawn Party outside from 10 am to 2 pm, rain or shine.

Each day at the Kids Fest Lawn Party, kids can meet a different costumed friend, like Brainy Smurf and Elmo, work on a free take-home project (decorate their own kendama or frisbee, make their own cardboard piano or kazoo), check out what’s going on in the activity tent (make their own trail mix or cherry pie, or make a claymation movie), enjoy the performance stage (storytellers, science demos, puppet shows), and have fun on the lawn (dress-up activities, stomp rockets, and games).

Throughout Kids Fest, kids can have a seven-second video made with their friends and family and emerge with cool free FlipBooks for all, sponsored by Oneupweb. They can crawl through the incredible kids castle, take free daily Yen Yoga for Kids! classes sponsored by Yen Yoga & Fitness, make gigantic bubbles, have their faces painted, and more.

Fun and healthy food will be available, thanks to Trattoria Stella, with lots of family seating. Munson Medical Center and the Grand Traverse County Health Department will
offer a Family Comfort Station next to the Tiny Tots Lawn Mat Play Area with water, fans, changing tables, and a quiet area to feed babies.

TCFF aims to expose our young attendees to great cinema at an early age, encouraging early development of film and media literacy. The festival offers young movie lovers exposure to a larger world of family films beyond typical American fare:
Wednesday: “Kooky” – A delightful, original Czech film that follows the journey of a cuddly toy bear looking for his little boy, complete with an exciting car chase through enchanted woods. In English, recommended for ages 7 and up.
Thursday: Short Films for Kids – The very best in new animated films from around the world, selected to provide pure enjoyment for adults and kids alike. In English (with the exception of two short films), recommended for all ages.
Friday: “Twigson” – A young boy adjusts to life in a new home with the help of a new best friend, a living branch named Twigson. Give the kids a chance to try out subtitles at this sweet and funny coming-of-age tale from Norway. In Norwegian with English subtitles, recommended for ages 7 and up.
Saturday: “Mia and The Migoo” – One of this year’s best films. Don’t miss the magical story of a young girl’s search of her father through the jungles of South America. In English, recommended for all ages.
Sunday: “A Cat in Paris” – A little girl, her cat, and the thief her cat visits while she sleeps all meet on the rooftops of Paris in this beautifully illustrated, sparkling new treat from France. In English, recommended for ages 8 and up.

Schedule of Kids Fest Family Lawn Party Events

Wednesday, July 27, is Sports Day and will include appearances by Suntan the Beach Bums Mascot and Sparty from Michigan State University — and maybe a professor from the festival’s Education Partner the University of Michigan, since they do not have a mascot! Kids can decorate their own kendama, and younger kids can decorate a flying disk. Zeemo the Magnificent will teach kids magic and juggling in the activity tent. There will be fun lawn games, like giant chess and hockey boards. Young people from the Traverse City All-Star Cheerleaders, Three Swords Fencing Club, Grand Traverse Bay YMCA Gymnastics and the ATA Black Belt Academy will all perform and Fit4You will lead kids in Zumba dancing.

Thursday, July 28, is Health and Safety Day, sponsored by Munson Medical Center. Smokey the Bear will be here, and the TC Fire Department will have their smoke trailer and fire truck on hand for kids to explore. Kids can make their own nutritious trail mix and create their own sun safety bracelets. At 11 am, kids can learn about ways to eat healthy with Dick Evans and the Nutrition Rainbow, followed by a lesson on the human body with Stuffee from the Great Lakes Children’s Museum at 12 noon. The US Coast Guard will take the stage at 12:30 pm for a demonstration about safety on the Great Lakes, and everyone should stick around for Dazzling and Amazing Safety Tips presented by Kohls 4 Season Safety & Safe Kids North Shore at 1 pm.

Friday, July 29, is Science Day. Come meet Brainy the Smurf and make some goo! Grand Traverse Pie Company will introduce kids to the science of baking as they make their own cherry pie. Remote control helicopters and Great Lakes Children’s Museum’s stomp rockets will be on the lawn, and the Great Lakes Children’s Museum will present magical electricity on the performance stage. Also on the stage will be Lego Mindstorms (programmable robotics and construction toys) and the Traverse City Central Highschool Raptors First Robotics Team. Plus, the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum will present six interactive activities, all based on the fun of science.

Saturday, July 30, is Storytelling Day with Elmo, Kermit, and Cookie Monster! It’s a dress-up play day where kids can make their own sock puppets and then put on plays at the puppet show stages, and see a great show from real-life puppeteer Penny Krebiehl of Little Art Shram. The performance stage will also feature authors Lynn Rae Perkins and Greg Pugh reading stories, along with performances by the Old Town Playhouse Young Company, Genot Picor, Toma the Mime, and Terry Wooten, Stone Circle Poet Bard. Kids can even work on a claymation movie!

Sunday, July 31, is Music & Dance Day with dancing fool Yogi the Bear present while children make their own cardboard pianos or kazoos. The Traverse City Symphony Orchestra will be on hand with a “petting zoo” of instruments. Lawn Fun activities will involve Dancing with Audrey Prisk & Friends while great musicians and dancers appear on the music stage, including Zippity2Dads and Ben Swan.

Sponsors

KIDS FEST VENUE SPONSOR:
Bill Kildee, CRPC, Platinum Financial Advisor, Ameriprise Platinum Financial Services

FLIPBOOKS:
Oneupweb

HEALTH AND SAFTEY DAY:
Munson Medical Center

PARTY PARTNERS:
Great Lakes Children’s Museum, KidzArt, Party Giant, Yen Yoga & Fitness

FUN HEALTHY FOOD TENT SPONSOR:
Trattoria Stella

TINY TOTS AREA:
Great Start & Way to Grow, Toy Harbor

ADDITIONAL SPONSORS INCLUDE:
Audrey Prisk & Friends, Britten, The Children’s House, Tom Dayton, Department of Natural Resources Traverse City, Dick Evans, FIM Group, Fit4You, Mary Gerhard, Tim Gies, Grand Traverse Children’s Advocacy Center, Grand Traverse County Health Department, Grand Traverse Pie Company, Hoopin’ for the Health of It, Horizon Books, Harold Kranick, Magic Mirror Costume Shop, Elise Nagy, North Flight, Northwestern Bank, Old Town Playhouse Young Company, Genot Picor, Greg Pugh, Joe Revnell, Dana Ryan, Shawn Semelsberger, Stone Circle Poet Bard, TART Trails, Third Level Crisis Center, Scott Tompkins, Trains and Things, Traverse Area Model Pilots Society, Traverse Area Public Schools, Traverse City Beach Bums, Traverse City Fire Department, Traverse City Central Highschool Raptors First Robotics Team, Traverse City Police Department, Traverse City Wolves, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, United States Coast Guard, Angelo Vozza, and Terry Wooten

More information about Kids Fest is available at http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org/kidsfest/.