Children and their families will enjoy a day of entertainment and fun when County Parks and several other county departments join with radio station 100.7 WHUD to present this year's 100.7 WHUD Kids' Fair, Saturday, April 19, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

“Each year I look forward to working with 100.7 WHUD to present this incredible showcase of resources and products that make family life just a little easier,” said County Executive Andy Spano. “It is also gratifying to help raise funds for the H.O.P.E. for Youth Foundation and children's charities in the Hudson Valley.”

The 100.7 WHUD Kids Fair, now in its 13th year, is an event that unites thousands of families for a day of fun and education. In addition to the educational displays, games and interactive exhibits, the fair also features a live radio broadcast and much more, for toddlers to pre-teens.

During the fair, youngsters and their families are invited to visit the Parks Department exhibit on the main hall stage, where they can visit with baby animals from Muscoot Farm, learn about local wildlife, say hello to Coaster, Playland’s friendly costumed dragon, and have their faces painted in a delightfully scary way by the makeup artists from Playland’s Scared By the Sound haunted attraction. Kids can get up and moving at the county’s Be Fit-Mobile, which will be on site with hula hoops, jump ropes, spring boards and other fitness essentials. A large screen set up nearby will allow kids to see themselves in motion.

Parents will find information on the many Westchester County-sponsored programs and services for children including the Parks Department’s award-winning Children’s Summer Ecology Program held at the county nature preserves, the Westchester Summer Music Center and the Slam Dunk Basketball camps, both of which are held each summer at the County Center, as well as Camp Playland and the Hole-in-One Junior Golf Camp.

Families can get a look at the county’s multi-faceted effort to protect the environment by stepping into the Westchester “Veggie Van,” a brilliantly painted vehicle fueled by recycled vegetable oil. Inside, see videos on current environmental issues attributed to global warming, and learn what alternative fuels are all about.
Several other county departments will be on hand with information for children as well.

• Kids, and parents alike, can browse the “Parents and Kids,” section of county’s website designed to provide fun and educational information just for them when they visit the Department of Information Technology exhibit. A bank of computer workstations will be set up, and staff experts, who keep the county’s information systems humming, can answer questions about the critical services they provide.
• Parents (or legal guardians) can register their children up in the Operation Safe Child program courtesy of the Department of Public Safety. Officers will be on hand with information with everything you need for your child’s free Safe Child I.D. card.
• The Office for the Disabled will screen their new video, “A Look Inside,” to give children insight into the everyday life of a person with disabilities. The office will also present a live puppet show.
• The county’s Traffic Safety department will have coloring books, contests, giveaways and special activities for kids as well.
• The Health Department has great information about the popular “Fit Kids” program, which offers a wealth of information about healthy eating for a fit lifestyle.
• Staff from the Planning Department will have great kid-friendly information about their “Lead-Safe Westchester” program and other initiatives.
• The Office of Hispanic Affairs will staff a table full of helpful literature and activities.
• Officers from the Correction Department will have a marked squad car where kids can pose for pictures.

While at the fair, Westchester residents can purchase a Westchester County Park Pass, allowing them access to county-owned parks, pools, beaches and other recreational facilities, and providing discounts in user and parking fees as well.

Admission is $5 for children and $8 for adults.

The 100.7 WHUD Kids Fair is presented by the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, and Westchester County Parks. It is co-sponsored by The Journal News. Additional support is provided by Cablevision, Con Edison, Hudson Valley Magazine, News 12 Westchester, Westchester Magazine, Westchester Family Magazine, Westchester Parent magazine, Entergy and Optimum.

The Westchester County Center is located at 198 Central Avenue at the junction of Tarrytown Road and adjacent to the Bronx River Parkway in White Plains. Parking is $4 per car. The entire building and parking lot are accessible to people with disabilities. For more information about the Kids Fair, call 100.7 WHUD at
(845) 831-8000 or the County Center at (914) 995-4050, or visit County Center.