Just Kids at Art

For 17 years, St. Matthew’s Episcopal School in Houma has celebrated “Just Kids at Art.” Set for Oct. 20, the festival showcases the many talents of local young people.

The festival will be held on the campus, which is located at 234 Barrow St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Children of all ages are invited to join the hands-on fun, which will include activity booths, a community children’s art gallery and artists at work.

Admission is free, and food and drinks will be available for purchase. The alcohol-free, family-centered festival is geared toward children.

In addition to a huge variety of arts and crafts – mosaics, pennant art, clay pot painting, picture frame art, spin art and canvas painting, the festival includes activities for children and live entertainment.

Papillion, magician David LeBoeuf and a gospel choir are slated to appear, and the afternoon will be peppered with children’s performances.

Festival-goers will find pirate, safari and Halloween booths, as well as a labyrinth, space walk, water balloon sling, paint ball and Velcro wall, publicity chairwoman Jennifer Stringer said.

There will even be food art: Ice cream sundae creations and cookie dough art.

On Oct. 20, Farmer Tucker’s Pumpkin Patch, another seasonal hit offered by the church, will be closed.

Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until dark and on Sundays from noon until dark, the patch offers youngsters more than a look at pumpkins. There are cakewalks, tic-tac-toe games, apples for bobbing and other hands-on activities for children. There are also stories about the fall season and pumpkins.

For more information about the Just Kids at Art festival or Farmer Tucker’s Pumpkin Patch, call (985) 447-4287.