Children's Arts Festival Saturday

By the end of Saturday, the world's next Pablo Picasso or Frida Kahlo may have discovered his or her natural talent - whether through stringing together a noodle necklace or folding an origami bird. Or it may be that the 11th annual Anaheim Children's Arts Festival will inspire that youngster to pursue the performing arts after watching dance performances or listening to others try their voices at the karaoke station. Whatever it is that speaks to them, the organizing committee of the annual festival hopes it stays with the children. "They get an exposure to art that maybe they don't usually get because it's hard to be able to go to one spot for experiences with music, drama sculpting, drawing, everything," said Andrea Manes, event coordinator for the festival. This year's festival features 63 booths of arts and crafts projects as varied as chalk art and pinwheel making to coffee filter flowers and origami. All the activities are free and there is no admission to the festival. The Anaheim Bulletin, an event sponsor, will have its annual Draw Your Hero booth as part of the festivities. Children are give a passport to visit different booths throughout the day. After completing six activities on the passport, the children can redeem a free gift a the Anaheim Museum, a can of play-dough. The festival also includes live entertainment on two stages throughout the morning and afternoon. Some of the acts include Ballet Folklorico Amor de-Mexico, Anaheim Ballet, Afro-Caribbean Dance Review, California All Star Cloggers and Oxford Academy's jazz band and string and wind ensembles. Unlike previous years, this year's festival will not include a pancake breakfast due to waning interest last year, Manes said. The extra early-morning hour will be added to the afternoon, for an additional hour of activities. Last year's festival attracted 7,000 people and organizers say they expect more this year. An invitation to the festival has been extended to the Garden Grove Unified School District, as well as the eight school districts with schools in Anaheim. Food and children's carnival games and rides will also be available for a nominal fee. But Manes says she's always pleased that the children don't ask where the video games are. "It just goes to show the arts are really important to children," she said. This year's festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Center Street Promenade downtown next to City Hall West, 201 S. Anaheim Blvd.