Penn Live Arts Celebrates 40th Anniversary Of Philadelphia Children's Festival

Penn Live Arts to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its acclaimed Philadelphia Children’s Festival, May 4-6, at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. See below or visit PennLivearts.org for the full Children’s Festival schedule.

For four decades, the Philadelphia Children’s Festival has inspired and delighted generations of Philadelphians. Established in 1985, the performing arts festival was the first of its kind in the country designed specifically for families and young audiences. In a time when public school arts budgets were being reduced, the Festival’s goal was to entertain and educate through the presentation of high-quality programming, addressing the issues of the day through the universal language of the arts. In 2025, Penn Live Arts continues the tradition with three days of thought-provoking children’s theatre, cirque, puppetry and music, plus interactive activities for all. 

The 2025 Philadelphia Children’s Festival includes weekend performances and school-day matinees of a supercharged circus of extreme sports (360 ALLSTARS), a Hmong refugee's powerful memoir brought to life onstage (Literature to Life’s The Latehomecomer), and a story of friendship and plucky determination told through striking visuals and brilliant puppetry (Terrapin Puppet Theatre’s The Paper Escaper). In addition to ticketed indoor performances, the PLAYground on the Annenberg Center Outdoor Plaza hosts hands-on activities provided by a variety of arts partners from across Philadelphia, and a free concert (Dirty Sock Funtime Band) on May 4. Arts partners include Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, BookSmiles, The Clay Studio, Penn's Common Press, Fairmount Water Works, First Person Arts, Fleisher Art Memorial, The Free Library of Philadelphia, Music Theatre Philly, Penn Museum, Philadelphia Scenic Works, Platt Student Performing Arts House, Rebel Arts Movement, Sawubona Creativity Project, Settlement Music School, Tree House Books, Wagner Free Institute of Science, and WXPN. The Children's Festival is rain or shine.

Visit PennLivearts.org for tickets and a full Children’s Festival schedule. For tickets for May 5-6: School groups should contact Anne-Marie Mulgrew at 215.462.7720 or amulgrew@upenn.edu. All others please contact the Box Office at 215.898.3900 or pla-boxoffice@upenn.edu.

2025 Philadelphia Children’s Festival LINE-UP

Literature to Life

The Latehomecomer

Sunday, May 4, 1 PM

Monday, May 5, 10:30 AM

Tuesday, May 6, 10:30 AM

Annenberg Center | 3680 Walnut Street

The impossible happens every day in the life of a refugee. Driven to tell her family's experience—and the history of the Hmong people—Kao Kalia Yang’s The Latehomecomer shares her search for a place to call home. Traveling through the war-torn jungles of Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand, Yang’s family eventually immigrated to America. Brought to life by Hmong actress Gaosong Heu, this acclaimed memoir, a 2024-2025 NEA Big Read Selection, explores how a quiet girl struggling to learn English became a self-empowered young woman claiming her voice to tell the untold story of her people.

Visit PennLivearts.org for full Children’s Festival schedule.

Terrapin Puppet Theatre (Philadelphia debut)

The Paper Escaper

Sunday, May 4, 2:30 PM

Monday, May 5, 10:30 AM

Tuesday, May 6, 10:30 AM

Annenberg Center | 3680 Walnut Street

Benny, the plucky puppet in The Paper Escaper, knows they are destined for greater things than a simple pop-up book. But in a world that’s trying to squash Benny between its pages–from a monstrous chomping sketchpad to a disillusioned illustrator–they’ll need the help of a surprising new friend to achieve their dreams. With striking visuals, brilliant puppetry and dynamic original music, Australia’s Terrapin Puppet Theatre makes its Philadelphia debut in this nonverbal story of determination, friendship and the power of following your own path.

Visit PennLivearts.org for full Children’s Festival schedule.

Dirty Sock Funtime Band

Free Outdoor Concert

Sunday, May 4, 3:30 PM

Annenberg Center | 3680 Walnut Street

Get ready! The Dirty Sock Funtime Band (DSFB) makes its Penn Live Arts debut in a wild, musical comedy show where anything (and we mean anything) can happen. Join the adventures of rock n’ roll best buds Mike and Stephen, their band, The Dirty Socks, and a pink-haired sidekick, as they take on kid-sized challenges with big-sized imaginations. Seen on Nick Jr. and PBS, the DSFB is celebrating 20 years of entertaining families with live-action comedy, animated videos, puppetry and singalongs. This FREE concert on the Annenberg Center Outdoor Plaza promises the “most innovative and imaginative children’s music ever!” (MTV)

Visit PennLivearts.org for full Children’s Festival schedule.

360 ALLSTARS (Philadelphia debut)

Sunday, May 4, 4:30 PM

Monday, May 5, 10 AM

Monday, May 5, 12 PM

Tuesday, May 6,10 AM

Tuesday, May 6, 12 PM

Annenberg Center | 3680 Walnut Street

Spinning circles around the competition, 360 ALLSTARS makes its Philadelphia debut with a dream team of world-champion athletes and artists showing off their mad skills in freestyle basketball, BMX, breaking, acrobatics, and more. With sold-out runs on Broadway and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this supercharged urban circus puts the thrill of extreme sports centerstage, backed by a pulse-pumping, live-looped soundtrack. “Everything spins at speed in this dizzying show that melds street culture with circus spectacle to make your seat shake.” (The Guardian)

Visit PennLivearts.org for full Children’s Festival schedule.

Children’s Festival PLAYground

Arts partners from across Philadelphia provide free performances and hands-on activities in the Annenberg Center Outdoor Plaza before and after the indoor performances.

Sunday, May 4, 12 PM-4:45 PM:

• Face painting and balloon creations by Taffy Fun
• Entertainment by Dirty Sock Funtime Band (3:30 PM) and DJ Gerry
• Hands-on activities with Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, The Clay Studio, Penn's Common Press, Penn Museum, Rebel Arts Movement, Sawubona Creativity Project, Tree House Books and WXPN.
• Book giveaways from BookSmiles
• Food will be available for purchase from Puyero Venezuelan Flavor

Monday, May 5, 9 AM-1:30 PM

• Face painting and balloon creations by Taffy Fun
• Entertainment by DJ Gerry
• Hands-on activities with The Clay Studio, First Person Arts, the Free Library of Philadelphia, Music Theatre Philly, Platt Student Performing Arts House, Rebel Arts Movement, Tree House Books and Wagner Free Institute of Science
• Book giveaways from BookSmiles

Tuesday, May 6, 9 AM-1:30 PM

• Face painting and balloon creations by Taffy Fun
• Entertainment by DJ Gerry
• Hands-on activities with Fairmount Water Works, First Person Arts, Fleisher Art Memorial, the Free Library of Philadelphia, Music Theatre Philly, Philadelphia Scenic Works, Rebel Arts Movement, Settlement Music School and Wagner Free Institute of Science

Don't Miss a Philadelphia News Story Sign up for all the news on the Fall season, discounts & more...