2nd Annual SoBo Halloween Bash: An All Ages Affair!

The Second Annual SoBo Halloween Bash will take over Riverside Park on Sunday, October 27, from 1pm to 6pm. What emerged from collaborative ideas of FedHillKids volunteers expanding their bash venue, and community advocate Cathy Strodel’s vision of an inclusive event in the park with “…young and old people, families and single people,” has now evolved into a Halloween tradition for children and adults of all ages. 

Planning Committee leader  Misty Keens writes in the October-November issue of SoBo Voice, “This year the planning committee has aspired to make it bigger and better than ever! We have a grand plan in the works…food from local vendors and food trucks, lawn games and tournaments for the adults, live music, costume contests for the young and old, 50/50 raffle and grown-up beverages!” Beer and wine will be sold from 4pm to 6pm, and during that time Misty says the event will be “a bit more adult focused.” 

The Halloween Bash has been and will continue to be FREE due to the generous donations of sponsors in our community, such as Protean Records, Harris Teeter, and Porter’s Pub, to name a few! If you’d like to volunteer your time, contact Misty Keens at mistyk_11@yahoo.com

Briana Lopes, Intern

Free Kids’ Kross Street at Jazz&Blues Fest: June 2

It’s that time of year again! On June 2^nd, Federal Hill Main Street will host the 13^th Annual Jazz & Blues Wine & Art Festival featuring the popular children’s play area, Kids’ Kross Street! Misty Keens, parent volunteer and co-coordinator, says she’s excited about their return and feels the activities provided by Kids’ Kross Street enrich the Federal Hill community.

“I’ve immensely enjoyed organizing Kids’ Kross Street. Shane and I have been fortunate enough to have inherited a very dedicated core group of volunteers that give so much to this community throughout the year. It’s nice to be a part of that,” says Misty.                                                                                    

SoBo Kids, the neighborhood family volunteer organization, returns to the festival to adorn children of all sizes with colorful face paint and temporary tattoos. Their station will be operating between 1 and 3 pm. There will also be a sidewalk chalk area where children can create their own masterpieces and a bubble pool, along with some do-it-yourself craft booths.

After they’ve been artfully crafted into their favorite cartoon character or animal, be sure to accompany your little ones to listen to the famous Urban Pirates, who will host story time at 3 pm. After patiently sitting through these sedentary, though fun activities, your kids are sure to be bursting with energy and excitement! What better way to channel that energy than jumping around in one of the two moon bounces? To keep kids safe, parent volunteers take turns supervising the blow-up vessels (which also enables them to enjoy the festival’s adult activities, including the amazing music line-up).

The overwhelmingly popular rice-pools (who knew?) will be set up again this year, where toddlers can amaze and amuse their senses using the many toys on hand to scoop up and play with raw rice. Lawn games will be ongoing, where older kids can compete in bean bag and ring toss. After all the jumping, throwing, tossing, running, and playing, our kids are sure to work up an appetite! Satisfy their hunger and perhaps spark cultural curiosity by participating in a sushi-rolling demo with Roy’s Restaurant.

“Every kid will be entertained,” said volunteer co-coordinator Shane Splitt. “Every parent will be able to enjoy the time while their child is busy playing.”

Thanks to volunteers and organizers, Kids’ Kross Street will continue to be an integral part of the Jazz & Blues Festival, helping to create memories and build bonds within the Federal Hill community. “I hope that the future brings in a new band of parents willing to give back to this community that gives so much to them,” says Misty.

For more information on the festival, go to www.historicfederalhill.org

Briana Lopes, Intern