Latin Band, Free Books, and Walkaround Elmo at WCTE Stations of Imagination
WCTE’s Stations of Imagination at Cookeville’s Fall FunFest will take place on September 11 and 12 on the Cookeville Square. This annual event features a myriad of free, fun and educational activities for kids and families. To celebrate PBS Kids programming, popular characters Walkaround Elmo and Sid the Science Kid will be on site to ‘meet and greet’ fans. Over forty booths will feature hands-on activities for the young and young at heart.
WCTE is excited to announce that this year’s Stations of Imagination entertainers will perform from the main Fall FunFest stage at the corner of Washington Ave. and Broad St. Headlining performer this year is the Clarksville-based Latin Jimmy Bonilla Band. Jimmy Bonilla will take the stage from 2:00-3:00 p.m on Saturday, September 12. This high-energy band promises Latin tunes and a plethora of instruments to make people move and dance—salsa-style! The Jimmy Bonilla Band is made possible through a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission. Other SOI stage performers include local dance, choral, and theater groups. Reggie Brown, WCTE Education associate and SOI coordinator, enthused, “Stations of Imagination has always had music and dance performers, but they usually perform from our small stage in the SOI area. This year, and for the first time ever, WCTE’s performers will be featured on the main Fall FunFest stage—we are thrilled!”
Also new to Stations of Imagination this year is the TTU Oakley S.T.E.M. Center’s S.T.E.M. mobile, which will be on site Saturday, September 12, for tours and hands-on activities featuring the wonders of science. Young ones will be able to explore PBS Kids mobile apps, see a 3D printer in action, and more. A “Read Up” event, in partnership with the Children’s Reading Foundation of the Upper Cumberland and Putnam County Schools, will also take place at SOI. Over 1000 books have been donated to be distributed free to children; families can stop by the WCTE “Read Up” booth to pick out a new favorite book to take home. These books are intended to encourage children and families to ‘Read 20’ minutes per day. At 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, the public can view Sesame Street: The Cookie Thief on the big screen in front of the courthouse on Jefferson Ave. In addition, “kids” of all ages are invited to dance in WCTE’s Silent Disco from 6-9 p.m.
Stations of Imagination is always free and open to the public. WCTE encourages Upper Cumberland families to come out to Cookeville for this event. For more information and to view the Stations of Imagination event schedule, visit wcte.org/stations.
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Photos attached: Walkaround Elmo with young fan Josh Sasser at Stations of Imagination 2011.
WCTE Upper Cumberland PBS
