Weekend Events: Heritage Festival, Free Movies and

This weekend has plenty happening from festivals, movies in the park and other fun family activities. You'll surely find something inexpensive (or free) to do! We'll be hanging out at the Heritage Festival but might also head over to Saline's ice cream social Sunday for a little more history for the weekend!
Friday, August 19:

The Ypsilanti Heritage Festival happens all weekend throughout Depot Town, on Frog Island Park and Riverside Park. The line-up for families includes a free kids play area (geared for those under 6), face painting, and plenty of entertainment. Times for the festival are Friday noon-8:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Check out a Waterloo Area Farm Museum (2611 Plymouth Rd., Grass Lake) Weekend Tour running throughout the weekend 1:00-5:00 p.m. Museum tour fees are $5 for adults and $2 for children aged 5-12. Guided tours of the ten-room farmhouse, log cabin, barns, blacksmith and woodworking workshop, bake house, ice house, milk cellar, and windmill. 

In the evening, stop by the Liberty School Gym (7265 Saline Ann Arbor Rd., Saline) for free movies and fun. Starting at 6:30, families can find fun free activities from the portable Gym America gym, a balloon animal artist, an inflatable obstacle course and plenty of yummy concession stand food. Then starting at 8:00 p.m., settle the family in to watch Disney's Tangled. Call the Saline Parks & Recreation at 429-3502 with any questions.

Saturday, August 20:

Everyone loves a parade! So be sure to stop downtown Ypsilanti for the Heritage Festival parade. It starts at 10:00 a.m. at Ballard Street and Michigan Avenue and travel east on Michigan Avenue through downtown Ypsilanti, North on Huron Street to Cross Street and west on Cross Street where the parade disbands at Washington Street. Families will enjoy the bands, floats, marching units, neighborhood groups, school organizations and much, much more! (My daughter, a new Daisy Scout and I will be marching - We'll wave!)

Little Ones can get creative at Ann Arbor District Library (343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor) at 10:30 a.m. Toddlers up to 2 years old can, with an adult, can find something fun to do during this free event.

Join Legacy Land Conservancy at 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. in celebrating protected lands and local foods during the Land Conservancy’s Fall Bus Tour (let's hope were the first stop, since "fall" isn't for at least another month!). Hop on our chartered coach, starting at REI (970 W. Eisenhower Pky., Ann Arbor), and enjoy the scenic drive,while visiting some of our most beautiful protected lands. Space is limited and registration is required, call 734-302-5263 or email susancooley@legacylandconservancy.org. The cost is $15 for non-members.
At 1:00 p.m. check out a free movies at the Michigan Theatre (603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor) where they are screening the 2011 Young Filmmakers’ Camp participants movies! The middle school projects will screen from 1:0-1:45 p.m. with the high school projects immediately following at 2:00-2:45 p.m. The admission is free so why not support the filmmakers of tomorrow!

Sunday, August 21:
At noon, at 100 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, through a donation from the Huron Valley Ambulance, will be giving away free children’s bicycle helmets at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival Health Tent. Proper fitting of helmets by Club volunteers will also be provided to the youth!

If your family has a talented youth or teen (ages 2-14) sign them up to participate in the Children's Talent Contest at the Frog Island Amphitheater. Kids can use an original talent (no lip sync performances) to show off for cash prizes! The show starts at 2:00 p.m. Registration begins at 1:00 p.m. on site.

If you are stopping by the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market, you will have a special treat at 1:00 p.m. as Joe Reilly performs at Kerrytown Market & Shops (407 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor). Families will find fun with environmental stewardship with creative lyrics and catchy melodies.

Grab a spoon and dig in as the Ann Arbor Art Center has a cute low-cost family event where everyone creates an individual ice cream bowl then is treated to an ice cream sundea. Sundae at the Ann Arbor Art Center sure sounds sweet! Families can sign up for three separate time slots for the event, 1:00-2:00 p.m., 2:00-3:00 p.m., or 3:00-4:00 p.m.

End the weekend with a sweet note with the old-fashion ice cream Social in Saline. From 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Weber-Blaess One-Room Schoolhouse (520 Woodland Dr. Saline) find fun activities for the kids including a reenactment of a school day, traditional recess games, sing-alongs, musical groups, antique cars, animals, a bucket brigade by the Saline Fire Department. This is a semi-free event, however it is a fundraiser for the Weber Blaess building so please donate generously!

Sundae at The Ann Arbor Art Center

This Sunday, August 21 families have the opportunity to join in the fun for a fun day at the Ann Arbor Art Center (117 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor) painting a ceramic ice cream sundae bowl. Then enjoy your own ice cream sundae with all the fixings!

Pre-registration for the Sundae at the Ann Arbor Art Center is required at the website for only $10, choosing a time slot, 1:00-2:00 p.m., 2:00-3:00 p.m., or 3:00-4:00 p.m. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Give Away: Goosebumps Adventures DVD's

Win a free DVD of two new Goosebumps
DVD releases by entering your favorite
 Goosebumps story below.

Ooh, pretty scary. Get goose bumps and keep the light on to ward off the ghosts, goblins, mutants and madness as Goosebumps®: Attack of the Mutant and Goosebumps®: Ghost Beach scare their way onto DVD September 13, 2011.
The latest of R.L. Stine’s wildly successful children’s stories come to life with two all-new terrifying tales.  Attack of the Mutant includes “Attack of the Mutant Parts 1 & 2” and follows Skipper Matthews and his awesome comic book collection and “Phantom of the Auditorium™,” a frightening story about a young actress who is thrilled after winning the lead in the school play...

The next DVD, Ghost Beach includes “The Barking Ghost” and follows Cooper Holmes, a young man who is scared of just about everything and “Be Careful What You Wish For,” where the class klutz Samantha Byrd is the laughingstock of the girls’ basketball team. 

Watch these latest spooky Goosebumps® stories on September 13… if you dare! Thanks to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment though, two Ann Arbor families will have the opportunity to win a boxed set that includes both releases.

For a chance to win, please tell me in the comments section below what your favorite Goosebumps story was growing up?  Entries need to be received by September 1 at midnight. All entries will be put into a random drawing for the prizes.

Kids Kruiser Taxi Service Answers A Busy Parents Prayers!

Kids Kruiser answers a busy parents prayers by providing taxi services for any reason.
The service is safe, clean, convenient and it's just for kids!

Last night when making a run to the Ypsilanti District Library I ran across this new business in town, so I stopped to get the scoop. Angela from Kids Kruiser LLC told me they have been in business for about 6 months now and provide a pre-arranged taxi service for kids and students ages 3-18.  

Think of it. On demand assistance in getting kids to or from an activity, after school events, doctor appointments, another relatives' house, daycare, summer camps, music lessons, or their parents' office - The possibilities are endless! Their cost is a flat rate too, which is better than using an other taxi service, it's just $2 per mile.

What a GREAT idea.

County Farm Park: Nature's Playground

Playing in the dirt, on the playground or wandering the bike paths and trails,
there is a lot to do at County Farm Park in Ann Arbor!

Last week my son and I attended a free activity program with Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation called "Dig Dirt" at County Farm Park. I hadn't been to the park since the county renovated it a year or so ago, and was amazed at how well it is now set up. The natural beauty of the area and landscaping heightens the fun farm-friendly playground equipment. It is a playground any child would love to explore!

The park has plenty of shade, a beautiful covered pavilion, nature trails and bike path's, and gardens snuggled among the paths and play equipment. In my opinion, the park would best serve the under 6 set, however my 7 year old had fun swinging off the play structure and didn't complain much! So the next time you're off to discover new parts of Ann Arbor, take the kidd-o's to County Farm Park to wander.

Kids younger than 6 will especially love County Farm Park, however older
brothers and sisters will certainly find something to do!