By: Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice
Children of all ages and capabilities are invited to participate in Riverfront Parks Committee’s annual Children’s ChalkFest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, on the Wilkes-Barre River Common. Rain date is Sunday, Oct. 2. The free festival will feature an official chalk art zone, multiple exhibits, children’s programming and Hydromania where youth can learn about water and explore their watershed through hands-on activities. Children will receive a free box of chalk as they enter the River Common at the Millennium Circle Portal, located along River Street between the Luzerne County Courthouse and the Market Street Bridge.
The Children’s ChalkFest is a one-day public gathering of families, friends and art enthusiasts, where more than 1,000 participants are expected to converge to collaborate and create Pennsylvania’s largest chalk mural. The four hours of activities are all centered on the River Common in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
The Riverfront Parks Committee created ChalkFest and Hydromania with the community’s youth in mind in collaboration with DCNR State Parks, Pennsylvania American Water, Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Suskie Bassmasters, Wilkes-Barre YMCA, Luzerne Foundation, Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Wilkes-Barre, and Luzerne County.
Over the course of a day, the River Common will be transformed into a mosaic mural of picture and color, spanning the length of the Veterans’ Memorial to Market Street Bridges.
At 12:30 p.m., Second Chance Wildlife Center will present, “Mammals of the Watershed,” a program featuring live animals such as skunks, opossum, squirrels, and other animals. Hydromania activities include free fishing for children, mural painting, opportunities to create fish prints, meet amphibians, fish of the Susquehanna, rain stick making, water cycle bracelet making, Water Olympics, leave no trace information, and Imagination Playground.
For information on the ChalkFest and Hydromania, visit www.riverfrontparks.org or “Like” the Fan Page, www.facebook.com/rivercommon
Riverfront Parks Committee encourages environmental awareness and stewardship through the development of educational program in the parks, and offers the region a safe, clean, unique natural setting for year-round recreation.
