Festival for children set for Saturday
By John Joyce
Published in News on October 22, 2015 1:46 PM
Organizers met Monday to finalize plans for the upcoming 21st Annual KidsFest being held in the parking lot of Berkeley Mall Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Games, prizes, vendor booths and live music will entertain children and families throughout the morning and afternoon, all with the goal of educating the public about fire prevention and safety.
The yearly children's festival is put on by the Wayne County Health Department and area fire departments as part of Fire Prevention Month.
Wayne County Health Department health education specialist Ta-Kisha Darden, who is in charge of planning this year's event, said KidsFest will offer games and attractions that are both educational and fun for the whole family.
She said this year's prizes will include three bicycles -- a men's bike, a women's bike and a unisex bike -- to be raffled off to eligible winners who complete a check list of interactive booths.
Ms. Darden, 31, stepped into the planning role for the first time this year, filling the position of chairperson vacated by former health education supervisor Ava Crawford who has since left the health department. Ms. Darden said her six years with the health department made her an attractive candidate to take over the position, yet she has had to remember to maintain a positive frame of mind in the face of obstacles.
"I really didn't know how things would flow, or the logistics. I just came on board and was like, 'This is how much time we have, let's get it,'" she said.
She said it was a positive challenge for her, not only to balance her own schedule -- Ms. Darden teaches at least twice a week in the public school system, is active with the Health Department's work in the community and juggles a full course load as she works toward her master's in business administration -- but to also keep other members of the planning meeting engaged.
"I think we all get burnt out along the way, whether we say it or not. Just keeping that positive fuel forward," she said.
Ms. Darden said all hands are needed to work toward positive development for the community's youths and to create a healthy environment for all children.
Goldsboro Fire Marshal Capt. John Morton is also a member of the planning committee. He said the Goldsboro Fire Department, several Wayne County volunteer fire departments and the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Fire Department will each be in attendance this year.
The respective departments will display their fire trucks and equipment and inflatables, a face-painting station and Sparky the Fire Dog are also planned.
"Seymour Johnson has a 10-foot inflatable fireman they are going to bring," Morton said.
In years past, KidsFest has been held on the Sears side of the mall, but this year the event will move to the JCPenney side to increase space for an outdoor stage offering live music and dance.
"Dance for Christ, a karate demonstration and children's entertainment will be going on there," Morton said.
Additional music and dance performances will take place inside the mall at Center Stage.
Several departments within the Wayne County Health Department will have booths set up at the event. Also participating are The Bridge Church, the Wayne County Boys and Girls Club, Partnership for Children, and the Wayne County chapter of the American Red Cross, among others. Several area restaurants and businesses are helping sponsor the event with gift cards for the firefighters, for the vendors and potentially for giveaways.
Morton said this year's theme, "Hear the Beep Where You Sleep," advocates smoke detector awareness. The American Red Cross is pushing this year to cut down on deaths resulting from house fires by increasing the public's knowledge on the need for and the upkeep of smoke detectors, he said.
Citizens interested in more information about how to obtain or install smoke detectors can contact the local chapter of the American Red Cross by calling Kathy Jones at 252-931-8658.
Volunteers are still being sought to help with setup and tear-down following the event. Anyone interested in helping out is asked to contact Ms. Darden at 919-731-1291.