Saturday's MetroFest Features Family-Friendly Activities

By Susan Petroni (Patch staff)

While the 20 food trucks and vendors are expected to attract a huge crowd to MetroFest on Saturday, Sept. 26, festival-goers will find plenty of activities for all age ranges while they nosh at the 15-acre Bowditch Athletic Complex in Framingham.

Taking place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the festival will feature an enhanced KidsTown area, sponsored by MetroWest Medical Center and anchored by activities offered by Natick retailer American Girl.

On the American Girl Red Carpet, festival-goers can have their photo snapped with their own doll or with American Girl dolls on-hand. American Girl will also be offering activities and crafts each hour, including crafting of personalized notebooks and note cards.

A special American Girl package is available online (www.metrowestvisitors.org/metrofest/metrofest-tickets/ that includes a gift bag worth $13 and a MetroFest admission ticket.

KidsTown will also offer an obstacle course, bouncy houses, a game truck with 20 indoor gaming consoles, facepainting, and Civil War re-enacters.

All activities are free, thanks to the support of the region’s businesses and nonprofits.

Under canvas tents ringing the running track, families will find free face painting at Middlesex Savings Bank and Doctors Express and free caricature sketches at Needham Bank.

JoJo the Magician performs and creates balloon animals in a small performance space, where acoustic musicians from the Town of Ashland will play periodically.

Musical performances, ranging from classic rock to Latin to African drumming, will take place all day on the Main Stage.

For adults, this regional event will also feature a beer- and wine-tasting tent offering samples of Jack’s Abby Brewing lagers and Massachusetts wines poured by Fifth Avenue Liquors.

Palettes, a Main Street business, and the Natick Center Cultural District are teaming up to offer a crowd-creation art activity that will involve hundreds, if not thousands, of festival-goers who will help paint canvases that will be put together into a large mural celebrating the MetroWest region.

After the completed mural is unveiled during the festival, it will serve as a traveling exhibit throughout the year. Four painting sites will be marked with yellow balloons.

Ticket prices as $7 for adults, $3 for ages 5-12, and no fee for children under 5. All activities at the festival are free; attendees may purchase their own food and beverages.

Tickets are available online at www.metrowestvisitors.org/metrofest/metrofest-tickets/ and may be purchased at the event (cash only).