The 40th annual Children’s Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at Mt. Blue Campus in Farmington, Hosted by Franklin County Children’s Task Force, admittance is free and there will be a variety of fun things for families to do and enjoy. In this picture from a previous festival, Marlene Thomas tries to identify a mystery food while her mother, Janessa Thomas of Phillips, and Meghan Parker-Crockett, Child & Adult Care Food Program coordinator, look on. Jenny Johnson file photo

FARMINGTON — The 40th Annual Franklin County Children’s Task Force Children’s Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25, at Mt. Blue Campus. Admittance is free.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide an in person community event for all children and families in Franklin County,” Rileigh Blanchet, social services director for the Task Force, noted in an email to the Livermore Falls Advertiser. Attendees should park in the regular student/visitor parking lot and enter through Door 8, she wrote. There will be signs to direct people she added.

Due to availability of spaces, the festival had to be scheduled the second weekend of February vacation this year, Blanchet wrote. “We will be utilizing the same spaces at Mt. Blue Campus as in years past,” she noted. “We will have activities in the Forum, Snack Shack, Food Court, and the gym. The gym is where the Hands On Room will be, lined with over 25 community partners ready to have fun and do activities with all families!”

There will be a gross motor area for those three and up, an infant/toddler play space for those two and under, crafts, temporary tattoos, games, give-aways, community resources, books, CHIP [child identification program], free cookie decorating and balloon art, according to a Task Force flyer.

Groups and organizations participating this year include: 21st Century Kids of FRANKLIN [RSUs 9, 58, & 73], A Family for ME, Androscoggin Home Health Care and Hospice, Assistance Plus, Beans Corner Baptist Church, Bikers Against Child Abuse, Book Lady, Catholic Charities, Child Development Services, CHIP (Child Identification Program), Community Concepts, Everyone’s Resource Depot, Farmington and Wilton Libraries, Farmington Fire Rescue, FCCTF Prevention Council, Fiddlehead Pediatric Healthcare, Foster Tech ECE Program, Franklin 4H, Franklin County Adult Ed., Franklin Health Pediatrics, Franklin Savings Bank, Girl Scouts, H&R Block, Healthy Community Coalition, Konopka and Sons, Inc., Literacy Volunteers, Maine Families – Franklin, Maine Outdoor Ministry, Maine Parent Federation, Northstart EMS, SAPARS, Sweatt Winter, Twice Sold Tales, Wellness Mobile, Western Maine Play Museum, Wilton Police Department, Wilton Rec. Department and WMCA/WIC.

Outdoor activities include a fire truck and police cruisers for children to explore, as well as everyone’s favorite snack, maple syrup on snow, Blanchet noted.

Entertainment will be in the Forum. “Mr. Magic will begin at 11 a.m., followed by a family dance party with DJ Beets from 12:30-1:30 p.m.,” Blanchet noted. “All food and beverage items at the event will be sold for $1 each. Pizza, drinks, popcorn, whoopie pies, and more will be available for purchase.”

Festival sponsors include Assistance Plus, Franklin Savings Bank, Kyes Insurance, Nina Brown, PalletOne of Maine DBA Isaacson Lumber, Paul Mills, Western Mountain Financial Services, Wilton Lions Club, Wilton Lodge #156 AF & AM and Mt. Blue High School.

Food sponsors are Farmington House of Pizza, Farmington Rotary, Clayton and Joyce King, Poland Spring and Narrow Gauge Cinema.

Entertainment will be in the Forum. “Mr. Magic will begin at 11 a.m., followed by a family dance party with DJ Beets from 12:30-1:30 p.m.,” Blanchet noted. “All food and beverage items at the event will be sold for $1 each. Pizza, drinks, popcorn, whoopie pies, and more will be available for purchase.”

For more information call Franklin County Children’s Task Force at 207-778-6960 or visit their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FCCTaskForce.