BY BETH BECKMAN | www.lilkidbigcity.com
A Super-Fun Tour of the Farm Fresh Festival with Fresh Kids Foodie!
On Saturday, September 17th, 2016, The Seaport District in Lower Manhattan transformed into the Farm Fresh Festival for Kids, an interactive and experiential farm environment for children and their families. The Seaport District came alive with the sights, tastes, play, animals, farmers, growers and harvest of a farm!
The purpose of the festival was to connect children with where their food comes from, and how it grows. The festival was also a community benefit to raise awareness and funds for non-profit organizations working in NYC to fight childhood obesity, hunger, and poor nutrition – including Harlem Grown, City Growers NYC, Green Bronx Machine, Edible Schoolyard NYC, Fresh Air Fund, Grow to Learn, and others devoted to growing a healthy and happy world for kids.
Our little foodie and farm fan couldn’t wait to explore this incredible festival!
Upon check in – each child received a cute festival map and Fresh Bucks money! Children could exchange the Fresh Bucks for Farm Fresh Produce throughout the festival.
Map and Bucks in hand – let the adventure begin!
Farm Discovery Zones share fun and fresh adventures of a day at the farm. With so many amazing activity choices – it was hard to choose which to do!
We started the day at the South Street Seaport Museum’s Bowne Printers. Bowne Printers exhibits a working collection of vintage printing plates and machines that once documented marine trade. Children are invited to discover the history of letterpress machines, and watch stationary print before their eyes.
Today Bowne Printers exhibited a wonderful 1902 printing press that they used to print small muslin bags as a take home souvenir for all guests.
Love that children were able to engage with the vintage press – and help to carefully pull the lever to create their own special gift.
The final product! A wonderful keepsake, and memory of the festival.
Next we headed to meet some new furry friends!
The amazing Two by Two Zoo was on hand with some of their favorite farm friends!
Two by Two Zoo is not a typical petting zoo – rather a traveling zoo with a message. They pride themselves on conservation through education. Most of the animal friends were adopted, rescued, or placed with the zoo voluntarily.
Duck duck goose! How great that children were able to discover these farm friends in the streets of Lower Manhattan.
Here’s Looking at you Kid! This friendly goat was excited to be part of the festivities. We loved discovering these animals, and learning more about our new friends. The friendly staff on hand explained their eating habits and daily activities.
From the animals on the farm, to learning about farmers themselves! Next we buzzed on over to City Growers! City Growers was one of the Non-Profit partners of the festival that worked to connect urban communities with agriculture, food and environment through farm, education and advocacy.
Their booth was buzzing with bees! From honey combs and hives, to the life cycle of a bee – there was a lot to discover and see!
The TD Bank environmental team helped to show children how to plant seeds.
Children filled up small containers and chose a vegetable variety to grow on their own from home.
Such a special tent and great keepsake of the event! TD Bank also handed each child a certificate to start a new savings account, planting the seed for a lesson on saving. Love that!
Juice Time! True Organic handed out their delicious juice to all the guests of the fest. Lil Kid remembered his favorite juice from our recent picnic. Love these power packed juice treats, a TRUE farm-to-bottle experience on the go!
Let’s get cookin! Lil Kid’s favorite zone was Tastes of the Farm – where children were able to join the community Farm Table for hands-on cooking demonstrations, and learn clean, simple, easy recipes to create at home from talented chefs.
One of the cooking demonstrations was from Dos Caminos who taught children how to create their famous guacamole using authentic flavors and fresh ingredients.
A perfect hands-on experience for curious foodies, and future chefs of all ages!
The chef assisted the children through each step – adding ingredients, how to remove the avocado from the shell, and mixing techniques.
Each child could make their custom guacamole using their own molcajetes right at the table!
The best part – getting to enjoy the treat! Delicious!
Next we hit the creativity tents! There is so much inspiration found on the farm – to imagine, create and craft! These incredible creativity tents were filled with wonderful ways to explore and share with friends.
Once of the tents was hosted by The Crafty Kids. Their philosophy includes “how children create is more important than what they create.”
Busy creative hands, creating lovely crafts together.
Curated Care held a fun farm inspired crafting station – vegetable stamping to make painted creations! Children enjoyed exploring the fun vegetable shapes and the mark that was created after stamping on the paper. An amazing and natural way to craft away the day!
After each adventure we made sure to get our Passport stamped! Children were able to collect stamps from the red tents stationed throughout each area of the festival. Once all stamps have been collected, a prize from the Kindness corner was given!
Such a cute idea to entice the children to explore all areas of the festival.
Saying hello to a happy tomato friend!
Escape Makers was at the fest – highlighting the best in “agritourism”, including picking dates, farm tours, and more! It was fun visiting them to discover new foodie destinations and farm tours to explore.
Loved learning about Randall’s Island at the festival – a true urban farm here in NYC! From rice paddies to apple orchards, chicken coups, and blueberry fields – who knew that this island just outside Manhattan was a foodie and farm experience! With an amazing outreach and public program schedule, Randall’s Island Park Alliance brings an incredible environmental and farm experience to so many local communities and city families.
Loved their rice bike displayed at the festival!
Stopping by The Youth Farm to pick up some produce with our Fresh Bucks! The Youth Farm is an education-focused production farm in Brooklyn. The Youth Farm grows organic food and flowers on one acre for the community and beyond, and offers advanced farm training and leadership opportunities for youth and adults.
Next we headed over to Shenandoah Growers , the incredible entrepreneurial farmers with a vision of bringing fresh culinary herbs to the Eastern United States. A small business success story steeped in perseverance, Shenandoah Growers has today become a leading provider of fresh herbs. They brought their amazing fresh herbs to a planting station at the festival and children were able to take home their own herbs…
…and take a keepsake picture at their fun photo opportunity!
Beth’s Farm Kitchen cooked up some fun! And showed children how to create their chunky applesauce (and gave some yummy tastes of jelly and jams!).
Next we visited local favorite, Fidi Families, at the field of dreams! The Field of Dreams was an electric area for activities, games and sports within the festival. Loved this fun area filled with energy, movement and play all day!
Fidi Families brought the carnival to the farm! Farm inspired fun carnival games activities to play.
Lil Kid loved the amazing agility and fitness games at Pop Fit Kids! PopFit Kids prides itself on being a FUNctional Fitness club with a mission to empower children on the importance of exercise and life-long eating habits!
Lil Kid had so much fun at these athletic stations he didn’t want to leave!
And the fun and play from Kids in the Game! Kids in the Game helps to connect schools and families with funding so they can create athletic programs, or by helping with funding for team fees and activities – such an incredible organization!
Story time! Love that the festival included an amazing Reading Orchard – where children were able to explore the magical world of books through on-site writers, illustrators, and the NY Public Library.
Loved the specialty-created reading houses created for the festival.
And meeting some amazing new authors and friends!
After a book and a chance to unwind – we stopped by the New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital to take a moment to be kind.
The Kindness Corner at the festival gave the opportunity for children to gather and share kindness with others. Children created messages on cards, to share with our community and also hang on the Kindness Tree.
The beautiful cards hung with care.
And displayed on trees in the orchard for all to see.
All aboard! The local ladder 6 fire truck paid the festival a visit. Children loved climbing behind the wheel for a test drive.
After – a balance ride! Next, we wheeled on over to the Wagons and Wheels display! Strider Bikes was inspiring young children to ride. They offer two-wheeled bikes that offer balance, coordination, and promote confidence in children.
On your mark, get set, go! Loved the amazing obstacle course on site.
Go Lil Kid Go! After the children completed the cute obstacle course, they were given a ribbon reward. Such a great way to introduce balance to a young child – and a stepping stone to a pedal bike.
Ride ‘em cowboy! Part of the “Follow Us to the Fair Tour” this fun, interactive experience was one we couldn’t miss from Tractor Supply Company.
From music and activities on stage, photo opportunities and a chance to lasso a “runaway pig,” there were so many fun activities to explore.
Lights! Camera! Fashion! After a day of music and amazing performances – The Barn Stage came alive with an incredible first ever fashion show and official launch of Sean Jean Kids.
Backed by the amazing twin DJ duo of Amira and Kayla! Lil Kid loved these amazing DJs!
Such an amazing day on the farm!
Thank you to Fresh Kids and all the partners and sponsors for a day we will never forget!
