How to go
What:Miami University-Middletown Family Fun Fest
Where: Johnston Hall, Miami University-Middletown campus; 4700 E. University Blvd.
When: Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday
Cost: Free; carnival games are 25 cents. Monetary and canned good donations for local charities are accepted.
More info: (513) 727-3200
Band schedule
Crusader: 1:15 to 2:15 p.m.
Sons of Apollo: 2:30 to 3 p.m.
Costume contest and prizes awarded: 3 to 4 p.m.
The Exploding Toads: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
MIDDLETOWN — A local university is giving the Middletown community a good time while also giving back to it.
The second annual Family Fun Fest at Miami University Middletown’s Johnston Hall kicks off at noon Saturday with 25-cent carnival games, food, costume contests for children and adults, a magician and music from local bands the Exploding Toads, Crusader and Sons of Apollo.
Identification kits for children will be available to patrons and admission is free, but monetary and canned good donations will be accepted to benefit local charities, said Ginger Wickline, an associate professor of psychology at MUM and event coordinator.
“Our goals are community building and community service,” Wickline said.
Participating organizations include MUM’s Students Engaging in Real Volunteer Efforts, the Education Club, Student Government, Students Arguing For Animal Rights Intelligently and Faces and Colors of Every Student.
“They have a desire to create something they can take their families to and to give back to the community they call home,” Wickline said.
Some new features of this year’s event are the inclusion of the Trek and Treat — an educational hike along the nature trails at MUM offering activities and treats for children — which was a separate event last year, Wickline said.
“We included (Trek and Treat) as part of it this year so we can be a little bit bigger and more efficient,” she said.
The Family Fun Fest will also feature an inflatable bounce house for children and twice as many community partners providing activities, Wickline said. Another new perk is a coloring contest for children ages one to 12, Wickline said, that features prizes such as tickets to the Newport Aquarium and the Dayton Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker.”
Last year’s inaugural Family Fun Fest drew approximately 500 people and raised roughly $1,200 for local non-profit organizations in the Middletown area.
“We were told that if we got 1,000 people, (Family Fun Fest) would be the single biggest community event that Miami-Middletown has ever had,” Wickline said. “We would love for people to come see the campus and what we have to offer.”
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