Stuffed animals sought for Balloons Over Bend Children’s Festival

Beneficiary Saving Grace is in need of lightly used or new stuffed animals for their stuffed animal corral at the Balloons Over Bend Children’s Festival.

Time for spring cleaning!! Bring your lightly used or new stuffed animals to Saving Grace to be given to each child in attendance at the Balloon’s Over Bend Children’s Festival. 1004 NW Milwaukee, Suite 100, Bend, OR 97701.

Children’s Festival: July 29th from 10am-4pm

And for the kids, there’s even more fun to be shared at the Balloons Over Bend Children’s Festival on July 29 benefiting local nonprofit Saving Grace, as hands-on learning and creative arts fill the Des Chutes Historical Museum parking lot and adjoining grassy grounds for one fun-packed day. This marks the first year for this new location, conveniently located close to downtown with lots of parking.

Also new this year is a heavy equipment rodeo that will feature several excavator-type pieces of equipment for children to learn about and explore. The Bend Fire Department also will be on hand with its fire and emergency simulation trailer. Inside the trailer children can learn from interactive activities about how to handle fire emergencies, such as a smoking toaster, a stovetop fire and an sparking microwave. Children learn how to call 911 and interact with a live dispatcher on the other end, and how to use a simulated fire extinguisher to put out the flames.

Members of the Bend Endurance Academy will put on a bicycle rodeo, giving lessons on how to ride through and around obstacles, and overall bicycle safety. The grassy areas surrounding the museum parking lot will be loaded with art projects, hands-on experiments and other interactive activities for the children, including face painting provided by Saving Grace.

A selection of Bend’s best bounce houses, even one with a water feature, will be on site for children’s enjoyment. And back by popular demand is the stuffed animal corral, from which children get to pick out a favorite animal to take home as a souvenir. Last but not least, the $15 registration includes entry into the Des Chutes Historical Museum’s annual Summer Shootout Marble Tournament.

Tickets:

Balloons Over Bend Children’s Festival tickets and volunteer information are available at www.balloonsoverbend.com .