MIAMI, FL – The Children’s Trust 2017 Family Expo returns on Saturday, September 9, with a fun-filled day designed to delight children and connect parents to resources that will make their families safer, healthier and happier.
As the largest FREE family event in South Florida, the Family Expo at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Center has attracted crowds exceeding 20,000 in past years. The 2017 lineup features 250 exhibitor booths showcasing information about after-school activities, low-cost health insurance, nutrition, safety, services for children with special needs, pre-K registration and much more. Free back-to-school supplies like backpacks and notebooks will be distributed while supplies last.
Marking the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, HistoryMiami puts the mysteries and dangers of Mother Nature on display in an interactive booth dedicated to extreme weather and natural disasters. Families will be able to explore how hurricanes develop, plan an emergency preparedness kit and discover the impact of dangerous weather systems on the environment. A special area will allow children to study cloud formations and create their own interpretation of them using cotton, chalk and charcoal pastels.
We’ll kick the excitement up even higher with help from local professional soccer club Miami FC. The team will be setting up a 20' x 20' inflatable kick dart (target) that’s sure to bring out the inner Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Alex Morgan in the soccer-loving kids in the crowd and, dare we say, the adults, too! A special play area will also be set up for informal soccer games and drills, and Golazo, Miami FC’s colorful, kingfisher mascot, will be on hand for a meet-and-greet with pint-size fans.
Homestead Speedway is zipping in with a race car exhibit, while HistoryMiami will also provide a special takeaway art activity focused on its permanent Buena Vista Trolley exhibit, giving Expogoers a glimpse of Miami’s storied past.
The fairgrounds’ Arnold Hall and Fuchs Pavilion will each boast stages booked with family-friendly entertainment and children’s theatrical presentations. Kids can also tinker around in the Robotics Room sponsored by Miami-Dade County Public Schools; test their skills in the Miami Herald Spelling Bee; listen to storytellers at the Read to Learn Book Fair; express their creativity at the Miami Children’s Museum Arts and Crafts booth; and get up close and personal with beasts of all kinds, including slithering reptiles, a bearded dragon and creepy crawly (albeit harmless) spiders at the Wacky Wild Science and Planetarium booth.
As always, the Expo will feature elaborate bounce houses, face painting, balloon sculptures, stilt walkers, magicians and a meet-and-greet with beloved storybook and television characters such as Llama Llama; Maisy the mouse; Elephant & Piggie; Pete the Cat; Geronimo Stilton; and Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.
Helping to get kids healthy, Baptist Health South Florida plans a day of fun and fitness featuring yoga, Zumba and a large-scale game of Twister! Back-to-School Boulevard, presented by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, will offer information about its magnet schools, parent engagement programs, adult education classes and more. Sports and Fitness fun will be available via martial arts, tennis and fencing exhibits, including demonstrations throughout the day.
Sponsors of The Children’s Trust 2017 Family Expo include the Miami Herald, Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Baptist Health. Admission, parking and all activities and entertainment are FREE. Access to the fairgrounds is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with entrances off Coral Way on both 112th and 109th Avenues. For more information about The Children’s Trust Family Expo, visit www.thechildrenstrust.org.
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About The Children’s Trust:
The Children's Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future… because all children are our children.
Media Contact:
Natalia Zea
Chief Public Policy & Community Engagement Officer, The Children’s Trust
natalia@thechildrenstrust.org