August 12, 2008

• Outdoor children's festival with music, dance

• Healthy food, fun nature activities, crafts

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Alys Stephens Center presents the ASC Kids' Club "Rhythms of the Earth" Festival, a fun, educational half-day festival with music, food and more, 12-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, at the center, 1200 10th Ave. S. Tickets are $10 adults; $7 children. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org for more information.

Families will enjoy this outdoor festival celebrating the Earth and all its natural beauty and bounty. The festival takes place outside in the ASC's Haskell Courtyard, with interactive performances from local artists Nathifa Dance Co., John Scalici and Get Rhythm performing ensemble, Celtic band Hooley and kids entertainer and singer/songwriter Charles Tortorici. In the event of rain, the festival will be moved inside.

Children can engage in hands-on projects and create arts and crafts and musical instruments, as well as learn to make yummy culinary dishes using organic fruits and vegetables. Children also can learn about native Alabama wildlife and flora through brief kid-friendly lectures, demonstrations and other fun activities. The festival will feature healthy food vendors, giveaways, prizes and more. Festival participants include Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, Alabama Wildlife Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Theatre, Vulcan Park and Museum and Stevan Grebel Center for Dance.

Festival sponsors are the Alabama State Council on the Arts, AT&T, Jane Stephens Comer, National Endowment for the Arts, Patty McDonald, Southern Arts Federation, Vulcan Materials Company Foundation, The Birmingham News, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Viva Health.