Festival at Children’s Museum : Free Art Show, Ethnic Entertainment, Classes Offered

Mimes, music, masks and more are planned Saturday when the Children’s Museum at La Habra presents a free Children’s Art Festival.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., families can enjoy ethnic entertainment, local choral and dance groups, clowns, puppets and varied children’s art workshops.

The day is in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibit, “Visions of the Future From the Class of 2000,” a collection of more than 200 works by La Habra first-graders depicting their ideas about life at the turn of the next century. The winning entry, a mural by students at Ladera Palma school, will compete at the Festival of the Arts in July for a place in the official Orange County Centennial time capsule. The exhibit will continue through April 29.

One festival highlight is a huge piece created by students at La Habra’s Las Lomas School under the direction of artist Michael Marks. Composed of dozens of pieces of colorful sheet plastic that have been decorated by students and glued, the room-size work will be inflated by large fans. Inside, youngsters can take part in a drawing workshop led by Marks.

Other workshops scheduled include making puppets or masks, working with clay and a “chalk walk” for toddlers.

Entertainment will include the Dai-on Taiko Japanese Drummers, the Southern California Chinese Folk Dancers, folk singer John Yeiser, mime Ruben Gerard and a visit by Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

All workshops and entertainment will take place in the museum and adjacent Portola Park. Food will be available for purchase. The museum is at 301 S. Euclid St. Information: (213) 905-9793 or (213) 905-9708.