Annual event promotes exploration of science and the environment
Old Westbury Gardens will be holding its annual KidsFest extravaganza on Sept. 17. The event, which typically attracts more than 1,000 families and children between the ages of 3 and 10, offers an opportunity to explore nature and the science behind the many unique and incredible sites at the gardens—including botany, horticulture, astronomy and biology. At KidsFest, children and families can participate in a wide variety of interactive fun and educational activities to learn more about Long Island’s ecology and ecosystem. Sprout’s Tim Kubart and the Space Cadets will be kicking off a family-friendly concert at 2:30 p.m.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy the beauty of Old Westbury Gardens in the fall, while discovering more about our local environment with over a dozen of our environmental partners and activities,” said Old Westbury Gardens CEO Nancy Costopulos. “Now, more than ever, it is important to explore and preserve our natural environment. This year’s event will feature an amazing performer, the Grammy-winning group Tim Kubart and the Space Cadets. With their wonderfully interactive performance and the many activities we have planned, we expect this year’s KidsFest to be the most exciting one yet.”
Some of the hands-on Kidsfest activities will include a Solarscope sky viewing, bulb planting, a live bee window, an interactive conservation water wheel, a skulls and fur exploration, kid-friendly science experiments and more. Displays from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the Bailey Arboretum, the Astronomical Society of Long Island, Beekeper Rick Blohm, Westbury Children’s Library, Friends of the Hempstead Plains, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site and more will also be on exhibit.
Long Island native and Grammy-winning performer Tim Kubart and the Space Cadets will
be performing some of the high-energy, family friendly songs for which they are known. Kubart has composed songs for Sesame Street, performed multiple full-scale productions on national stages and theatres, and placed at the top of the XM Kids Place Live charts numerous times. He recently received a Grammy Award for the Best Children’s Album (Home, 2015) and became an on-camera host of the Emmy-nominated morning show for preschoolers, Sunny Side Up on NBCUniversal’s Sprout Channel. Kubart has hosted a number of high-profile personalities on Sprout, including actress Julie Andrews, actor William Shatner, astronaut Chris Hadfield and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
This years’ KidsFest is open to the public free with paid admission to Old Westbury Gardens. Admission rates are $12 for General Admission, $10 for seniors and students with a valid ID, $7 for children 7-17 year old and free for members and children 6 and under.
For more information, visit www.oldwestburygardens.org.
