REVIEW: First Friday in Downtown Canton

First Friday is an event available at the Downtown Canton Arts District from 6-10pm on the first Friday of each month. Each event has a different theme and provides art, live music, vendors, food, children's activities, and more. We attended the July 3rd, "Chalk the Walk" themed event.

There were dozens of artists making sidewalk murals and musicians peppered along the sidewalks and at some stages. Several students were performing Shakespeare (I think) but it was too loud to hear what they were saying. Another group from the North Canton Playhouse traveled throughout the arts district performing songs from "Rent". We also watched as a professional sandcastle artist created a 5-6ft tall sandcastle. And, there was one area where kids were encouraged to "chalk the walk".

Several of the galleries offered kids' crafts - some for a $1-2 fee, some free. My kids did the spin art at the 2nd April Galerie - they used paint on q-tips to decorate a round paper spinning on an old record player. That was a big hit! But the studio was on the third floor with very narrow hallways and a long wait which made it kind of a pain to search out. Lynda Tuttle's Art Center provided a free family art workshop where my children could make-and-take their own piece of art. The kids enjoyed making designs on paper by dipping chalk in paint. There was also a variety of vendors - food, art, photographs, jewelry, services.

My kids' favorite activity was the Bluebird Amphitheater tent. They have a variety of dulcimers and autoharps. Each of my kids sat and learned how to play a song on the instruments ("Twinkle Twinkle") and then got a piece of candy. The staff was really fun and the kids went back again before we left.

INSIDER TIPS:

• If you're going with kids GO EARLY! Plan on parking before 6pm and arriving right at 6pm. The crowd is smaller and there's more parking available. By 7:30pm, it was already getting crowded with the adults coming down for dinner and drinks.
  
• Stick with free parking on-street or at the YMCA, library, Christ Presbyterian or St. Peters. Some lots were charging $5 for parking but you'd still have to walk a block or two.
  
• With kids, start at the north end of the district and head south. The beer garden and some of the "adult" attractions are in the northern section, which gets crowded when they fill up later in the evening.
  
• Bring the camera! There are many metal sculptures that your child WILL want to pose with.
  
• Go to the First Friday web site (http://www.cantonfirstfriday.com/) before you go to find out where the kids' crafts are going to be. There isn't much signage to point out places of interest for kids.
  
• If you want to go into the galleries, you may want to carry small kids in a sling or backpack instead of using a stroller. One of the largest galleries, 2nd April Galerie, is three floors with narrow hallways and small individual showing spaces. Definitely no room for a stroller!

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT FIRST FRIDAY:

• Tons of music! Some of the music from the stage was loud, but the kids loved the smaller bands peppered throughout the venue and did not hesitate to dance.
  
• Wide variety of things to see and do - something for everyone.
  
• Sounds mundane, but they had good bathroom facilities and open space to eat. With small kids, you always have to know where the bathroom is! By the large soundstage, there was an open field with some picnic tables and ample port-a-pots. Even better, they had a hand-washing station and paper towels.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE ABOUT FIRST FRIDAY:

• Provide a map of the actual "Arts District" and label the individual galleries - the map of downtown parking they provide is good, but it was hard to tell what was a part of First Friday.
  
• Many of the gallery listings on the site or in the promo materials did not have full addresses, just "6th street" - making them hard to find for those of us who are unfamiliar with downtown.
  
• Have more of the kids' crafts outside of the galleries, so they're easy to find and have more room, and so those who want to see the exhibits are crowded by families waiting for their turn to do projects.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

See the First Friday web site for details and upcoming events: cantonfirstfriday.com.

Upcoming First Friday Themes:

August 7: Hound Dog Days of Summer
September 4: The Color of Music
October 2: Oktoberfest
November 6: Harvest Moon
December 4: Snow Much to do Downtown

Reviewers: Allyson - full-time mom of 3 kids age 6 and younger, Leslie - full-time mom of 3 kids age 5 and younger.

REVIEW: Jackson Parks Tiny Tracks Program

Jackson Township Parks and Rec sponsors the Tiny Tracks program each summer for kids ages 3-5. Tiny Tracks explores new activities and themes each week - the July 1 session described below features a "Stars and Stripes" theme. Each session provides a coloring page, story, movement exercise, games, snack and art project. All sessions are held at the North Park pavilion off of Fulton Road in Jackson.

This is our second year in the program. Tiny Tracks is a favorite in our home - the kids specifically ask to go and talked about it all winter. The pictures give you an idea of what Tiny Tracks sessions include.

Each session typically starts off with the children getting their nametags and coloring pages related to the theme of the day. Then Josh reads a related story (today, "Duck for President"). He does a good job of getting and holding the group's attention and dealing with the kids' questions and comments. Next, Jessica or Carmella will do some sort of movement activity with the kids. Today it was learning motions to the song "You're a Grand Old Flag". It gives the kids a chance to wiggle around before doing the art project(s).

The art project is often something messy that involves, paint, glue, glitter or a combination of the three. The kids love it and I don't have to clean it up! Perfect! They always have supplies available for clean up (i.e. a large bucket of water for washing paint off and paper towels to dry hands and clean up spills). Today, they used their handprints, foamies and glitter paint to make a picture of fireworks on a page with the National Anthem on it.

There is always a game involved at some point (i.e. a parachute game, obstacle course, ball toss). It's usually something easy for both younger and older kids. Today it was a relay race where the kids had to march with a flag. No real competition involved - just for fun.

The kids get a theme-related snack after games - today it was a sno-cone with the flavoring of their choice. A big hit for all involved! They also got to stomp on "Poppers" or caps to celebrate Independence Day. The whole program lasted about one hour. At our session you would see moms, dads and grandparents assisting the kids - it's a good mix.

What I Like About the Program:

1. All sessions are held under the North Park pavilion, which provides protection from the sun/rain and ample seating.

1. 2. Having 4-5 different activities each session ensures that there is something for every child.

3. The mess is contained! The kids can have fun creating, but I don't have to clean up the mess.

4. They always provide cleaning supplies - if the project is painting, they provide a large tub of water for washing and paper towels.

5. The program is the right length - not too short for the older kids, but not too long for the younger ones.

6. Older/younger siblings are accomodated depending on attendance - when I bring my 6-year-old along, they usually have enough supplies so that she can participate instead of just sitting around watching her brothers.

What I Would Change About the Program:
Provide online enrollment! Most of us are used to online enrollment or at least enrollment by phone for other free programs (i.e. library workshops) - currently you have to send the registration form via snail mail or drop it off at the office on Wales.

INSIDER TIPS:
***Bring an old shirt to the session for those messy projects.
***Make sure you have a spot in the car for safely transporting those wet "masterpieces" home or you'll end up with tempera paint and glitter everywhere.

INTERVIEW:
With all of the budget cuts we're seeing, I asked if the program was renewed year-to-year or whether it is ongoing. Josh says that the program is relatively easily sustainable and low cost, so the Parks department envisions it as an ongoing offering - they are planning on continuing to offer it yearly. This year, enrollment has gone up to more than 80 children, so they added a third session. Currently there are two sessions on Wednesdays - 9-10am or 11-noon. The new session is at 1-2pm Wednesdays. The following are the themes for the remaining sessions:

July 8: Rumble in the Jungle
July 15: Slumber Party
July 22: Touch a Truck (9am session starts at 9:30am today only)
July 29: Country Western Day
August 5: Silly Science
August 12: Amazing Astronauts

REGISTRATION:
You can still register for the remaining six sessions in July and August. The program is free but registration is required - to register, print and complete the registration form located on the Jackson Township website, and mail or drop it off at the Jackson Township Parks & Recreation Department, 5735 Wales Avenue NW, Massillon, OH 44646.


Reviewer: Allyson - full-time mom of 3 kids age 6 and younger