Bethesda Hosts 23rd Annual Imagination Bethesda

From The City of Bethesda: The 23rd annual Imagination Bethesda, a children’s street festival celebrating children and the arts, is scheduled for Saturday, June 3, 2017 from 10am-3pm. Musical performances and professional children’s entertainers will light up the stage, while hands-on art & craft activities will line the streets along Elm St. and Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

Organized and managed by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, the festival will host 25 local businesses and arts organizations that will provide a variety of hands-on art and craft activities to entertain and energize the 12-and-under crowd. Additionally, the festival will feature face painters, balloonists, a stilt-walker, free giveaways and more.

Imagination Bethesda is a FREE event produced by the Bethesda Urban Partnership and is sponsored by Bethesda Magazine, MIX 107.3 FM, Washington Episcopal School and Washington Parent. The following restaurants will be participating: Gusto Farm to Street, Häagen-Dazs, Mamma Lucia, Mussel Bar, Silver and Smoothie King.

Event participants hosting hands-on activities for children include:

• Adventure Theatre MTC – Create your own Junie B. Jones paper bag backpacks
• Be with Me Playseum – Hand painting on ceramic tiles and bubble bucket
• Bethesda Conservatory of Dance – freeze dance activity with props and sticker game
• Bethesda Magazine – Summer fun photos and coloring activity
• City Dance – Dance demo and graffiti coloring activity
• Creative Youth – Fashion illustration project and hand sewing activity
• Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts & Culture – Make-your-own carousel activity
• Huntington Learning Center – Create your own blow paint monster
• Imagination Stage – Make your own mini pocket watch
• Iran Cultural and Educational Center – Arts and crafts from Iran, face painting and book mark making
• KID Museum – Interactive engineering activity with structures and balls
• Kidville – Decorate door knockers, glitter tattoos
• Language Stars – Games and activities from a variety of world cultures
• Mathnasium – Make and explore shapes with a variety of fun materials
• Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Initiative – Pedestrian safety craft activity and pledge
• Montgomery Parks – Tin-smith activity and clay marble making
• Naval Support Activity Bethesda – Visit with McGruff and McGruff coloring books
• Plaza Artist Materials – Learn to draw cartoon characters
• Round House Theatre – Create your own map to a special destination
• Strathmore – Guided colored pencil technique activity
• The Washington Conservatory of Music – Musical instrument craft and hands-on demonstrations
• Washington Episcopal School – Cookie decorating stations
• Wonders Early Learning + Extended Day – Create masks with paper plates
• YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase – Design and assemble paper fans

Performances on the stage include:

• 10am Mr. Knick Knack
• 11:15am Rainbow Rock Bank
• 12:30pm Rockin’ Railroad
• 1:15pm Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance
• 2pm Rocknoceros

For more information, please call 301/215-6660 or visit www.bethesda.org.

Image Courtesy of The City of Bethesda