NASHVILLE, TN — The value of play cannot be underrated, just ask any child. Families seeking a place to entertain their children in a fun and enriching manner know all too well that it can be costly. Yet, free access to enriching play has been a commitment of Centennial Park Conservancy’s Kidsville program since its inception.
Kidsville began in 2010 as “Kids Corner,” an area for children to create & play at the popular Musicians Corner events in Centennial Park. Since that time, Kidsville has become a stand alone program that presents over 100 free education activities annually in Centennial Park and at outreach locations across Nashville.
The program’s highest profile event, Kidsville Family Festival sponsored in part by Nissan, will take place on Saturday, September 23, after a three year hiatus due to the pandemic. From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Centennial Park will host thousands to enjoy a child-focused festival that features youth dance performances, craft activities, character meet and greets, inflatable games, face painting, yoga, puppet show from Nashville Public Library, instrument petting zoo, food trucks, and so more.
“The Kidsville Family Festival is one of the most fun days of the year,” said Justin Branam, Centennial Park Conservancy’s Vice President of Programming. “We’re excited to bring the event back to Centennial Park for a full day of fun surprises and engaging activities for kids of all ages. There’s simply no better way to spend a beautiful fall day as a family in the park.”
Beyond the festival, Kidsville offers free interactive events throughout the year. During Centennial Park Conservancy’s Musicians Corner spring and fall concert series (which occurs every Friday this month, and Saturday, September 30), Kidsville is always present with their tent of crafts and music-based interactions, and lawn games to help parents entertain their children while taking in the live music.
On most Saturdays throughout the year, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Kidsville at the Parthenon offers families with children twelve years old or younger free access to the historic museum with a variety of reading, nature, art and history-themed activities that bring the museum alive to kids of all ages. This has become a beloved tradition of families as a refreshing place to get out of the summer heat with the kids, either rain or shine.
Kidsville believes in the value of play and in providing opportunities for experiential learning, and multi-sensory, object-based exploration. By connecting children to transformational experiences to enhance their development, the program supports parents, caregivers, educators, and community partners in creating learning opportunities for children.
The commitment to operate the free Kidsville program by the nonprofit Centennial Park Conservancy is generously underwritten, in part, by individual donors and valued sponsors such as Advance Financial Foundation, Amazon, HCA Healthcare Foundation, Jackson National Life Insurance Company, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Sandra Schatten Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, Vanderbilt University, and others.
To learn more about all of the Kidsville events, visit www.kidsvilleonline.org.
