A new Urban Family weekly series where we ask a Shanghai based community organization or individual to tell us 5 things our readers must know. Echo Park is a Shanghai based festival that will be hitting our grand city in just two weeks. Although festivals may have a reputation of being for adults, we asked Echo Park organizers what makes this festival so family friendly...
1. Participate in Fun-Filled Activities
We will have a dedicated space for little ones to enjoy the pleasures of the Park. The We Are Cubs kids area will feature activities such as face painting, jumping castles, sack races, soccer, basketball, tug-of-war, and much more! We’ve teamed up with Sport For Life, whose kid-friendly coaches will watch over all the little cubs as they enjoy. It will run from 12-7pm on Sept. 19-20th, with tug-of-war battles taking place on the hour every hour between 1-7pm and sack races every hour on the half hour between 1:30-6:30pm.
2. Let their Musical Journey Begin
Echo Park is the perfect place to introduce your little ones to great live music! We’ve got 57 artists across four stages, and we made a little treasure map of all the hidden musical gems that kids will enjoy.
From danceable pop to mellow folk, there’s a ton of music genres to discover with plenty of room to dance around away from the stage and wave light sticks as the sun goes down. We’ve calibrated decibel levels to be safe for everyone, but remember to bring earplugs just in case, or pick up some free ones at the ‘We Are Cubs’ area.
3. Roam and Run on the Green
Echo Park takes place on a beautiful, open field of a lovely green. There are acres to walk, run, and romp around on! This is a rare treat in Shanghai, and we want to make sure families and the young ‘uns make the most of this idyllic picnicking opportunity.
Set up a picnic rug, slather on some sunscreen, sample some of our amazing food (more on that below!) and enjoy the fun! We’ve also got Frisbees, for those who fancy a bit of sport. Take a break and enjoy some quality family time where your kids can feel free to run and play!
4. Unleash their Creativity
Echo Park isn’t just fun and games, it’s also about wonder and discovery. We’ve got a rad creative zone at the festival, with art installations, exhibits and some very special creative folk working on exciting new projects in our “Garage”. There’ll be Illustrators, dancers, painters and filmmakers giving folks an unprecedented view of the creative process, and kids can see, firsthand, how magic is brought to life. Who knows, it might spark a musical and artistic passion in their young hearts!
5. Work up an Appetite
Running around all day with the kids at a festival can definitely work up an appetite, so we provide plenty of great food options for both adults and kids. We have two food areas – one for quick snacks on the go and one for fuller, heartier meals. Not only do we have some of the best purveyors of the delicious to set up shop at Echo Park, but nothing (repeat: nothing) is over 60RMB at the festival! Most food items are priced around 35RMB, with plenty of snack-sized fun for the kiddos – sliders, waffles, sandwiches, and cookies. Yum!
//To learn more about this event you can find the listing here
