Family Fun at the Woodruff Arts Center Free Family Festival September 11

The Woodruff Arts Center announces its sixth Free Family Festival, which will take place on September 11 from 1 - 4 PM as part of the CREATE ATL Family Fun at The Woodruff Arts Center initiative. The Free Family Festival will feature family-oriented programming led by the ALLIANCE THEATRE, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and High Museum of Art. The festival will include live performances from master Jamaican musicians & storytellers, scavenger hunts with Eric Carle's famous children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, interactive musical experiences like Pop, Zing, Boom! with Dave Holland of Beatin' Path Rhythm Events and Alliance Live! Hollywood Squares.

In addition to the free activities happening throughout The Woodruff Arts Center, the High Museum of Art will offer free admission and free scavenger hunt guides based on the exhibition, I See a Story: The Art of Eric Carle, for families to explore Carle's world at their own pace. Children of all ages will also be able to work with High Museum of Art teaching artists to make their very own wire leaf sculptures, inspired by the colors of fall. Toddler Tours will take toddlers and their caregivers on a physically interactive experience with art where they will experience dance and drama-based strategies to interpret works of art and learn about museums.

ALLIANCE THEATRE's Kathy and Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young will present a free sneak peek at the upcoming productionFrom Head to Toe, which is based on the beloved Eric Carle children's book of the same name. Performances will invite the youngest Audience members to think, observe and move like their favorite animals! But the movement won't stop there-local artist Mama Yeye will lead African dance workshops for all levels of experience inspired by the African tales of the spider Ananse and Ashley Bryan's The Dancing Granny. In addition, a cast of all-Atlanta grandmothers will showcase the power of grandmothers to audiences of all ages in a free 3:30 PM performance of The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering by Sharon Mehdi featuring Pearl Cleage, ALLIANCE THEATRE Mellon Playwright in Residence.

The Grammy® Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will present an instrument petting zoo: violins, a cello, a flute and a trumpet will be on hand for children ages 5 and older to touch and try. Families will go on an exploration of sound, science and music atPop, Zing, Boom! with Dave Holland of Beatin' Path Rhythm Events; the interactive musical experience with percussive instruments will take place throughout the festival. Future music-makers will be able to design, create and play with their own egg shaker maracas at the festival's free instrument-making station.

To register for the Free Family Festival, visit woodruffcreateATL.org.

This Family Festival is part of the larger CREATE ATL Family Fun at The Woodruff Arts Center initiative, in which families can participate in art-making, interactive musical story times, composers-in-training sessions, instrument making, drop-in acting classes and more, for free, every Sunday from 1 - 4 PM. In addition, families have the opportunity to experience world-class productions and exhibitions at The Woodruff Arts Center.

For more information about each Sunday's activities and for a full list of Family Festival programming, visit woodruffcreateATL.org.

CREATE ATL is sponsored by a $6.6 million dollar grant by The Lettie Pate Evans Foundation, which is part of the family of foundations that also includes the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. The Lettie Pate Evans Foundation is an independent private foundation that invests primarily in education, arts and culture.