A day all about fun for kids

loading...

HAMPDEN – Seems like yesterday you were taking your growing kids to Children’s Day. Now you’re packing up the grandbabies to watch the parade, play the games and see the fireworks in Hampden.

Youngsters will be the focus, as always, of the annual Children’s Day festivities Saturday, Aug. 16.

The day will be replete with parade, activities, fireworks and food – including pancakes, french fries, doughboys, lemonade, hamburgers, hot dogs, sodas, chips, candy bars, coffee, baked goods, popcorn, sandwiches, strawberry shortcake, cotton candy, barbecue chicken and pulled pork sandwiches.

The schedule of events is:

. Pancake breakfast, 7-9 a.m., Hampden Kiwanis Civic Center, Main Road North. $6, $3 children under 12.

. Bike decorating, 9:30 a.m., in front of Reeds Brook Middle School. Children are invited to bring their bikes or anything with wheels to ride in the parade. Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine will provide decoration materials. Children are reminded to wear their bike helmets.

. Parade lineup, 10 a.m., Reeds Brook Middle School.

. Children’s Day parade, 11 a.m. Parade ends at Edwards Shop & Save on Western Avenue.

These events are scheduled for noon-4 p.m.:

. Kiwanis quarter booth games.

. Touch-A-Vehicle, including a fire truck, an ambulance, a Humvee and many others. Presented by the Hampden Recreation Department and the Maine National Guard.

. Horse and carriage rides. $1, $3 family.

. Bounce house sponsored by Best Western-White House Inn and operated by the Townsend family, who will conduct a silent auction and raffle to support Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome awareness. The syndrome is a genetic condition that can cause sparse hair growth, skin discoloration and stunted growth.

. Spin art at the Maine Discovery Museum booth.

. Beanbag toss with the Maine Department of Health and Human services and A Family for Me.

. Safety tips and learning a few tae kwon do moves with ATA Martial.

. Hampden Children’s Day information booth with 50-50 raffle tickets for sale.

. Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s instrument petting zoo.

. Face painting with Girl Scouts of Maine.

. Cake walk operated by Girls Scouts of Maine.

. Zachary Field performing juggling acts and fashioning balloon creatures, sponsored by the Ground Round.

. Treats at the A-1 Safe Storage booth.

. Hampden Fire Department smoke trailer.

. Child identification program provided by members of Mystic Lodge Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Hampden and the Maine Dental Association. Parents will receive free fingerprint sets, dental imprints and videotapes of their children. Iggy, Shamrock, Squiggles and Tempo, and Anah Shrine clowns will be on hand to entertain the children.

. Pack 41 Cub Scouts booth.

. Inflatable obstacle course operated by the Maine National Guard.

. Car seat and booster seat safety check, and a safety obstacle course, sponsored by Eastern Maine Medical Center and Safe Kids of Maine.

. Noah’s Ark Stuff-n-Fluff, make a stuffed animal. $12.

Other schedule events are:

. Mad Scientist, 12:15 p.m.

. Top Hat Dancers, 1 p.m.

. Jason Tardy, juggler, 1:15 p.m.

. David Newfield, storyteller, 2:15 p.m.

. Freeze Pop giveaway at Children’s Day lemonade stand.

. Lucky Duck draw operated by Kiwanis members, 3 p.m. Tickets available at the Kiwanis lunch wagon.

. Southern pit barbecue, 4-8 p.m. Ribs, chicken, garlic bread, coleslaw, pulled pork sandwiches. $6.50, $4.50 children under 12. Pulled pork sandwich, $3.

. Kayla Wass Band, 7-8:15 p.m. Wass is the first place winner in the Pine Tree Country Music Association, Down East CMA, North American CMA in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and the Colgate Country Showdown.

. Awarding to trophies and ribbons for parade entries, 8:15 p.m. Winner of 50-50 raffle drawn. Glow ropes go on sale.

. Fireworks provided by Blue Hill Pyrotechnics, 8:30-9 p.m.

. Kayla Wass Band, 9-9:30 p.m.

Volunteers are needed for cleanup 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 17.