4th ANNUAL “KIDFEST” SEPTEMBER 8
GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, NC – On Saturday, September 8, Grandfather Mountain will celebrate Kidfest, a day designed to get kids excited about the nature and culture of the North Carolina Mountains through fun and entertaining activities.
Kidfest, now in its fourth year, is hosted by the Grandfather Mountain Naturalist staff and meant to provide kids with their very own special day at Grandfather.
The day will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a guided hike at the Woods Walk with Naturalist Jesse Pope. Unexpected secrets will be shared about the things that live inside the logs and under the rocks in the woods.
At 10:00 a.m. and again at 3:00 p.m. the Animal Habitat staff will be available to talk with guests in the wildlife habitats and will lead “enrichment” activities for the otters, cougars and deer. “Enrichment” is a term that describes the diversions that the staff presents to the animals to break up the routine of their days and give the animals something unusual to get excited about. Sometimes they offer the animals toys to play with and sometimes they offer them puzzles to solve so that they can get their treats.
A “Birds of the Blue Ridge” live demonstration will take place at 11:00 a.m. Owls, hawks and a few more feathered friends will delight visitors in the Nature Museum Auditorium. Bird expert Nina Fischesser, from the Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute, will share great stories about the personalities and adventures of the birds.
Children visiting Grandfather are invited to get their faces painted from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Fudge Shop. Previous attendees have had their faces adorned with snakes, spiders, flowers, butterflies and lots more.
Mountain
culture is an equally entertaining part of Grandfather Mountain’s
Kidfest. Storyteller Glen Bollick will be on hand to spin his yarns
and keep kids laughing with exciting and humorous stories of mountain
characters and their adventures at 12:30 p.m. In addition to knowing
how to tell a tall tale, Bollick can play (and build) any instrument
that has strings. He’ll bring out a few of the traditional (and
not so traditional) bluegrass instruments and pepper his storytelling
with songs.
At 1:30 p.m. kids will be invited to play “The Thicket Game” at the Woods Walk. A nature fanatic’s version of hide and seek, the Thicket Game lets kids experience for themselves how wild animals and birds use their colors and markings to blend in with their surroundings to keep from getting caught.
One last game at 3:30 p.m. will end the day’s activities. “Quick Frozen Critters” is similar to freeze tag and places children as animals trying to get back to their “home” base while navigating around predators.
The first 250 children ages 4 to 12 will receive an activity packet upon arrival at the park. Packets include pictures for coloring, puzzles for solving and other interesting handouts to entertain kids when they get home.
Grandfather Mountain’s Kidfest is included as part of the regular park admission. For more information, phone 800-468-7325 or visit on the web at www.grandfather.com.
Mile High Swinging BridgeWildlife HabitatsNature Walks & Hiking TrailsNatural HeritagePlanning Your VisitCalendar of Events
HomeAbout Grandfather MountainGetting HerePress RoomLink to UsContact UsSite MapTerms of UsePrivacy & Security
P.O. Box 129 - US 221 & Blue Ridge Parkway - Linville, NC - 28646
Phone 800-468-7325 Fax: 828-733-2608 Email: nature@grandfather.com
Copyright 2006 Grandfather Mountain. All Rights Reserved.
Designed by