Children's festival scheduled for October

Children will find plenty of various activities at Festival of the Arts The Conejo Recreation and Park District in cooperation with the Conejo Chapter of the National Charity League will present the 12th annual Children's Festival of the Arts from noon to 3 p.m. Sat., Oct. 7.

This fall tradition will once again be staged at Conejo Creek North on Janss Road and features hands-on arts, crafts, music and entertainment. Children are advised to wear messy clothes to fully enjoy all the fun.

A wide selection of crafts and activities will dazzle the children. Brightly-colored bead necklaces, face painting and sand art are just a couple of the attractions. In addition, rock painting, making creative masks and stamp art visors will be among the fun activities.

The centerpiece of the event is the ever-popular "box city," a cooperative construction project building upward with cardboard, tape and paint. The huge "city" with tunnels and doors takes on the feeling of a child-sized maze. On the other end of the spectrum recyclable materials will be glued, taped, and stuck together to construct a miniature city in Recycle City. Fun is guaranteed!

The entertainment portion of the festival is always a fun and eclectic mix of culture and comedy.

The unforgettable sights and sounds begin at 12:15 p.m. with the grand entrance by the Pacific Coast Highlander Bagpipers and Irish Dancers. "Mr. David and the Buckwild" will be performing children's music for all ages to enjoy at 1 p.m.

At 2 p.m., enjoy the comic fun of the "Buster Balloon Show" starring Buster. Wandering the festival will be Fred Harshberger, "The Balloon Dude."

Volunteers from the National Charity League will transform the north side of the park into a fun festival of crafts, games, art, and music. The League is a nonprofit national organization of mothers and daughters who join together in community service. More than 120 young ladies will assist children with 26 different hands-on crafts and activities.

Charity League members are called "Ticktockers" and participate in a six-year program of charity work, education, and community service. Ticktockers begin their charitable career in seventh grade supporting 24 Conejo Valley philanthropic and service organizations including "Many Mansions" and "Mary Health of the Sick" that provide college scholarships to local high school women.

The National Charity League also educates its members in a variety of life skills such as how to apply for college, how to travel safely, and proper etiquette. Exposure to cultural events and the arts is also a priority for members.

The Charity League raises funds by operating Fibber McGee's Thrift Store in Thousand Oaks, with all monies going back into the community.

The Festival is celebrating its 12th year with the Conejo Recreation and Park District and National Charity League cooperatively presenting the activities and supervising the fun. All the crafts and entertainment are free so come on out and enjoy the day.

Refreshments will be available for a nominal fee and proceeds directly benefit the program.

In case of rain, the event will be presented at the Thousand Oaks Community Center, 2525 N. Moorpark Road. For more information, call (805) 381-2793.

Kouba is recreation coordina- tor for the Conejo Recreation and Park District.