Kidtoberfest gets Osky children involved

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October 13, 2009

By DUANE NOLLEN

OSKALOOSA — Snow flurries may have swirled around outside Saturday morning, but Penn Central Mall was buzzing with activity as children and parents enjoyed Kidtoberfest.

“So far, so good,” said ISU Extension Regional Education Director Brian Dunn said Saturday morning. “This is the third year for Kidtoberfest.”

Kidtoberfest is a fun way to get children acquainted with youth-oriented groups in the area.

“We were looking for a way to get folks connected with youth service agencies,” Dunn said. “We try to do it in a way that would make them want to come out to do it.”

Kidtoberfest features things like inflatable games, neat experiments from the Science Center of Iowa and craft activities. Science Center of Iowa Outreach Coordinator Joe Schwanebeck was conducting experiments with items such as liquid nitrogen for “Boom,” a presentation on explosions, that drew many to his corner of Penn Central Mall.

There were about 35 exhibitors at Kidtoberfest this year ranging from Kids Corner and Iowa State University Extension to SIEDA and Mahaska Health Partnership.

Kidtoberfest has grown every year, Dunn said.

The first year, about 300 kids attended, this past year, the total was about 400, he said.

“It’s off to a good start this year,” Dunn said.

Jannette Walker, of University Park, brought her grandson, Owen, and granddaughter, Bailey, to Kidtoberfest for the first time.

Walker said it was Owen’s sixth birthday, and they were looking for fun things to do during the day. Walker and the kids were at the Kids Corner coloring station.

“It’s worth checking out,” Walker said.

Angela Moore, of Oskaloosa, was another first-time attendee of Kidtoberfest and she brought her children Michael and Katelynn. They were at the Spring Creek Achievers 4-H Club spin art table. The kids were trying their hands at creating colorful art with some ink and a spinning piece of construction paper.

“I think it’s pretty cool for the kids,” Moore said.

Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com

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