23 March 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Robyn Bushong, 409.744.7848,
RBush1147@aol.com; Public: 800.821.1894
ENRICHING PERFORMANCES HIGHLIGHT THEME:
“GALVESTON –A GATEWAY OF CULTURES AND TRADITIONS” AT
15th ANNUAL GRAND KIDS FESTIVAL SATURDAY, APRIL 10th
The theme for the 15th annual Grand Kids Festival, hosted by The Grand 1894 Opera House, is
“Galveston: A Gateway to Cultures and Traditions”. Set for Saturday, April 10, the festival will
take place between 10am-5pm and be held on Postoffice Street between 20th and 23rd streets in
historic downtown Galveston. To compliment this theme, The Grand Kids Festival welcomes
Alpenfest German Band, The Celtaire String Band, Dance of Asian America, The Flying
Balalaika Brothers, Lannaya West African Drum and Dance Ensemble, The Olympian Dancers,
O’Maoileidigh Irish Dancers, and The Italian Tarantella Dancers.
Throughout the day, festival goers can look forward to family-friendly entertainment that spans a
variety of ethnic cultures, unique booths with hands-on activities for children, as well as the
opportunity to participate in children-oriented arts and crafts, art demonstrations, an exotic
animal petting zoo, creative fun with chalk art and the Bubble Pond.

Alpenfest German Band is more than an "oompah" band. Their specialties include four
thirteen foot Swiss alphorns, a tuned set of Austrian cowbells, Holzanes G'Lächter
(German xylophone), tuned musical hand saws, and yodeling!

The Celtaire String Band plays music of the 1700s-1910 dressed in period clothing. They
enlighten students about music traditions by explaining importance and use of music in
the 1800s. Kids will play along with hands-on activities while appreciating the old-time
music and how it was made before batteries and amps. Instruments include fiddle, penny
whistle, bodhran, guitar, mandolin, banjo vocals, “bass-box”, tambourine, autoharp,
spoons, and limberjack.

Dance of Asian America bridges the gap between the east and west through authentic
Chinese dance in costume and high caliber national award-winning choreography from
China.

The Flying Balalaika Brothers perform Russian folk music on traditional folk instruments
in colorful costumes, melding with American bluegrass and contemporary international
acoustic styles. Audience members will be entertained by the unique rhythms, harmonies
and sound of traditional Russian folk instruments (balalaikas, spoons, bayan, domra),
combined with traditional American instruments (banjo, harmonica, guitar).

The Lannaya West African Drum and Dance Ensemble perform authentic and
progressive interpretations of traditional dance with music, folklore and rhythms from
Guinea and the Ivory Coast. “ This “Rhythm of West Africa” helps children and general
audiences learn about Africa and the arts in a fun, engaging format.
Area schools and groups will also be featured performing dance, cheerleading, orchestra
arrangements and choir performances: Austin Middle School Choir, Austin Middle School String
Ensemble, Ball High School Dancers, Ball High School Ballet Folklorico, Ball High School
Percussion Trio, Bay Area Youth Symphony, Crosby Middle School Red Roses Dance Team,
Diva Stars, Galveston Ballet, Galveston Home School Performing Arts Co-op, Infinity Dance,
La Marque Elementary District Choir, Morris Middle School Band, Morris Middle School Choir,
Morris Middle School Orchestra, Olympian Dancers, O’Maoileidigh Irish Dancers, Rosenberg
Elementary Choir, Royal Academy of Fine Arts- The Preludes, The Italian Tarantella Dancers
and Weis Middle School Choir.
The Grand Kids Festival is a community outreach event presented by The Grand – and is made
possible only through the generosity of many organizations, foundations, businesses and
individuals.
Founding sponsors of the festival include Mary Ainslie; The Gladys B. Foundation in honor of
Robert Richard Thornton; The Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund; Bank of America and The Park
Board of Trustees of the City of Galveston.
Sponsors for this year’s event include: Target; KUHF Radio; Kathrine G. McGovern; The Jamail
Galveston Foundation; BP Texas City; Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream; the Permanent Endowment
Fund Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church; the Alice Taylor Gray Foundation; Frost
Banking, Investments and Insurance; the Historic Downtown Strand Seaport Partnership;
CenterPoint Energy; Moody National Bank; Galveston Island Rotary Club; Mayor Lyda Ann
Thomas; Shawn Guttersen; Rotary Club of Galveston Foundation; the Galveston Chamber of
Commerce; Sand Dollar Galveston; Houston Family and Houston Baby Magazine; the Kids
Directory; Fit to Run; Fit Kids - The Galveston Health and Racquet Club; Island Bicycle
Company; FeatherFest; the Park Board of Trustees of the City of Galveston and Texas
Commission on the Arts.
Saturday festival admission is $3.00 for adults; $2.00 for children; free for children 4 years and
younger. Half-price advance festival tickets (family four-pack for only $5.00) are available at
The Grand’s box office. Full-price tickets may be purchased at the festival gates. A special
festival map and entertainment schedule will be distributed upon entry.
For more information about this and other events at The Grand, visit www.thegrand.com,
call 800.821.1894 or 409.765.1894. The Grand 1894 Opera House is located at 2020 Postoffice
Street in historic downtown Galveston.