PANAMA CITY, FL. (WMBB) – A sea of people are soaking up the fun at the 27th annual Kid Fest which took place at the Central Panhandle Fairgrounds.
With tons of activities, resources for parents, and food. There’s something for everyone.
Parents and kids from all across Bay County have touched down at the fairgrounds for a little bit of free fun.
The last time Kid Fest was held was before Hurricane Michael.
The 26th Kid Fest was canceled for bad weather, so after six years, the Panama City favorite is back.
“Today we are here, and the community is showing we are having so much fun. As you can see, I’ve been outside because we have activities outside and we have all of these agencies that are here inside having activities with the children,” Early Education Center Head Start Director Janice Flowers said.
To make room for everything kids had a plethora of activities inside and outside.
There was even some live music.
There were more than 60 vendor booths to choose from.
“They’re making tattoos. They are doing different crafts. The democratic party is here and they’re painting. The children are allowed to paint. So just everybody has an activity. Their coloring sheets and books over at the Early Learning Coalition, and they’re giving away a thousand books,” Flowers said.
Many of the vendors who attended Saturday’s kid fest had been coming for multiple years in a row before its hiatus.
All of them do it for the same reason, for the kids.
“It’s heartfelt. We just we love Panama City and Bay County. And we just are proud to be. We’re very blessed. And we’re able to help with this effort. And it’s just good to see the kids have a smile on their face,” Peoples First President Kristian Chapman said.
Early Education Center Head Start Director Janice Flowers estimates that roughly a thousand people have come to enjoy Kid Fest.
While the event is supposed to give children and parents a fun day out, it’s also used to give kids a head start on education.
“We’re giving out over a thousand books. So, every child that leaves here today should have a good start for a family library because literacy is one of our keys,” Flowers said.
Flowers said if all goes well, families can expect Kid Fest to make a return for its 28th year.
