14th annual Fall Kids Festival to be held Oct. 29
The 14th annual Fall Kids Festival, which is sponsored by the Harney Point Kiwanis Club and Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department, will grace Jaycee Park again this year on Oct. 29.
Harney Point Kiwanis Club President Scott Turner said the festival began 14 years ago because one of the club’s members, Donna Williamson, wanted to help educate children about health and safety.
“Kids Fest started as a health and safety fair where parents and children could learn different things that are available in Cape Coral and, of course, how to be safe as a child,” he said.
The festival has grown since its inception and now includes entertainment, a Halloween costume contest and a movie in the park, which is provided by the city once the festival ends and the sun goes down.
“Each year we have between 2,000 and 3,000 families that attend,” Turner said.
This year the day-long festivities will feature Halloween costume contests, pony rides, a petting zoo, clowns, games, an inflatable slide, health and safety information, family-oriented vendors, give-away items, crafts and food.
The Kids Fest is held every year to provide parents with the opportunity to visit one place that will entertain and provide free activities for their children from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Turner said they hold the festival to help the children have fun, learn how to be safe and healthy, along with providing parents with the chance to spend time with their children.
“In our current economy we sometimes become busy with work and can lose precious time with our kids,” he said.
As of Oct. 11, the festival was expected to feature 50 vendors who will offer information about the library, city Parks and Recreation and organizations and businesses promoting safety and health.
Jaycee Park is located at 4125 S.E. 20th Place. The Harney Point Kiwanis is asking for a $2 donation to park, along with canned goods for the Cape Coral Caring Center.
The Harney Point Kiwanis Club has decided to use the proceeds from the event for its scholarship program for high school students in the community.
Turner said the club’s membership is currently down and it is becoming more difficult to put on such events as the Kids Fest without the right amount of manpower.
To accommodate the decreased membership, the club has started holding a few night meetings to accommodate those who work during the day.
The Harney Point Kiwanis Club has meetings every Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. at The Dog in Cape Coral.
Turner said he would like to thank the other Kiwanis Clubs in the area for helping them put on the Kids Fest, along with their Kiwanis youth groups, elementary, middle and high school students.