TV comes to life, festivals offer fun

On Sunday, enjoy a celebration of art and entertainment while helping to raise money to protect the environment at the 15th annual Arts in the Park Festival.

The festival features more than 50 juried artisan vendors, live music, a plant sale, and other activities to benefit the Friends of High School Park in Cheltenham Township. Children can enjoy hands-on art and crafts, hayrides, a moon bounce, and face painting.

Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the event will feature entertainment by Elkins Park Middle School students, including the girls' ensemble group performing the rock classic "Queen of Hearts," and singer Lilo Blank. Guitarist and singer Ellie Kaplan also will perform. Cheltenham High's a cappella groups, Up the Octave and Sons of Pitch, will perform as will the school's color guard and jazz and percussion ensembles. The Myers Community Choir and more local talent will be featured.

The Friends of High School Park is a nonprofit volunteer organization that works with Cheltenham Township to create, manage, and preserve the park's 11-acre ecosystem for native plants and wildlife for the community to enjoy. Suggested donation for the festival is $3. Rain date is June 13.

Nickelodeon's Storytime Live! is on stage Friday evening through June 6 at the Merriam Theater.

This action-packed adventure is hosted by Moose A. Moose and Zee of the cable channel Nick Jr. The production, presented by Nickelodeon, Broadway Across America, and the Kimmel Center, is a theatrical tour featuring characters from four of the top-rated preschool shows on television: Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, The Wonder Pets!, and Ni Hao, Kai-lan.

Each segment of the show takes the audience on an adventure, journeying through Filthingham with the Backyardigans, leaping into Fairytale Land with Dora and Sleeping Boots, venturing into Wonderland with the Wonder Pets, or jumping on clouds with Kai-lan and the Monkey King. Repeat performances are 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society and the Humane League of Philadelphia present Festival for the Animals at Rittenhouse Square's Ethical Society of Philadelphia.

From 3 to 5 p.m., festivalgoers can meet, pet, and play with four-legged creatures including dogs, cats, and rats. Children and adults can get lessons about kindness toward animals and also sign up to help bring a professional humane educator to their school. Animal-themed artwork and crafts for kids will be available for sale. Food and snacks will be sold. Families can also have professional photographs taken of them with their companion animal. PAWS and other rescue animal agencies will have applications for animal adoptions and pet foster care.

Festival for the Animals is presented with the second annual Philadelphia Walk for Animals along the Schuylkill Banks path and benefiting the Humane League of Philadelphia. Families who want to walk in the 1 p.m. event must register at www.phillywalk.org.

The Festival for the Animals and the Philadelphia Walk for Animals are both free and open to the public.

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