Fun Fest to Fill Downtown Massillon

Massillon Cable TV, the Massillon Museum, and the Downtown Massillon Association invite all area families to participate in this year’s Fun Fest, which will be held on Saturday, August 8, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Fun Fest, a Massillon Alive event, has entertained thousands of families in downtown Massillon for fifteen years.

Admission to the family-focused event is free. There is no cost for most activities; some have a minimal charge.

Children will enjoy games, story times, prizes, face painting, contests, art projects, dancing, crafts, health and safety activities, athletic events, and music. The Stump Hill Farm Petting Zoo, a rock climbing wall from the Ohio Army National Guard, and the Massillon Museum’s shirt tie-dyeing will be among the favorite activities. The Tuslaw Lions train ride; costumed characters; and the Massillon Public Library Bookmobile will be on hand.

Among the familiar organizations offering activities, demonstrations, and information will be Girl Scouts, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, churches, Massillon Parks and Recreation Department, the Salvation Army, Massillon Family YMCA, YWCA of Massillon, Massillon cheerleaders, Lighthouse Visions, Canton Ballet, Spring Hill Historic Home, and the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum. Dozens more will join them.

The Lions Lincoln Theatre will show "Night at the Museum." A schedule of events and times will be available on the Museum corner of Lincoln Way and First Street on the day of the event.

The Health Plan will sponsor a giant slide. Bonnie’s Engravers Gallery will back the inflatable bounce house, and Rotary Club of Massillon will sponsor the rock climb slide. Massillon Cable TV will present the inflatable obstacle course and bungee run, while The Independent will sponsor the New England Garden Club’s popular flower arranging station. The Sons of Herman will sponsor the clowns, Philbee and Bertha. The Health Foundation of Greater Massillon will sponsor a hand-washing station.

Organizations, human services agencies, and businesses will distribute free items such as coloring books, pencils, balloons, banks, bookmarks, and puzzles. Emergency crews and vehicles—including Massillon Fire Department, art organizations, magicians, musical groups, and others who offer programs of interest to young people will help make Fun Fest a lively, safe, educational, and enriching experience.

Organizers Liz Gessner McAllister of Massillon Cable TV and Jill Malusky Bacon of the Massillon Museum, tout the event as “a great day for kids ages four to ninety-four and their families.” Fun Fest is intended to provide all the fun of a carnival with a focus on meaningful activities. Many of the organizations and businesses that offer activities provide valuable health, safety, and educational information to parents while entertaining the children.

Fun Fest is sponsored by Massillon Cable TV, the Massillon Museum, and the Downtown Massillon Association. Each year more than five dozen organizations and businesses make the event possible through their exhibits, performances, sponsorships, donations, and participation.

Fun Fest is centered on First Street and Lincoln Way East and on the lawn of the Massillon Museum. Free parking is available in city lots, the parking deck, and on adjacent streets. For more information, contact the Massillon Museum, 330-833-4061 or visit massillonmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:
Liz Gessner, Massillon Cable TV - 330-833-6655
Jill Malusky Bacon, Massillon Museum - 330-833-4061
Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum - 330-844-1525