FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Courtney Kupersmith
267.405.2348 | 215.765.4325
courtney@smithplayground.org

Smith Memorial Playground Presents Kidchella
Kids Music Festival Featuring Grammy Nominated Brady Rymer,
Walter Martin of The Walkmen, and The Not-Its!

Philadelphia, PA (June 9, 2014) – Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse is thrilled to announce their first kids music festival on the Playground—Kidchella! On Friday, July 25th, 6-8 PM, families will rock out to a fantastic line-up of well-known national musicians that kids AND adults will enjoy. Performing at Kidchella will be Brady Rymer, The Not-Its!, and Walter Martin.

Brady Rymer is a Grammy Nominated family music artist who will perform alongside bandmate Claudia Mussen. NPR’s All Things Considered notes Brady Rymer and The Little Band That Could “might just be the best sounding band in children’s music.” Rymer’s rootsy, accordion-laced pop and rock music regularly wins critical acclaim and national awards, and he also plays bass guitar with the Laurie Berkner Band.

The Not-Its! are an all-ages indie-rock band hailing from Seattle releasing their fifth album this summer. Parenting Magazine’s Bill Childs says, “[The Not-Its!] have hit a sweet spot with a nice combination of an indie sound, great melodies, and enough rock to satisfy us aging ’80s and ’90s alt-rock kids.”

Walter Martin is a founding member and co-songwriter of The Walkmen. Since the band’s hiatus, Walter Martin has released his solo family album We Are All Young Together, featuring a roundup of indie guest stars such as Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Matt Berninger of The National, and Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. USA Today calls it “a fantastic assemblage of sweet folk-pop tracks,” and New York Times declares it “an album of joyful children’s music that is also sophisticated enough for grown-ups to appreciate.”

Tickets to Kidchella are $10 per person and available at smithplayground.ticketleap.com/Kidchella. Kidchella is free for Smith members, memberships are available at smithplayground.org/membership. Space is limited! Members must RSVP with the number of kids and adults attending in their family to info@smithplayground.org by July 18th to secure their free tickets.

Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse is a non-profit organization located in Philadelphia’s East Fairmount Park. Founded in 1899, Smith welcomes over 218,000 visitors annually from more than 500 zip code areas. Smith’s mission is to be Philadelphia’s foremost resource for play by providing opportunities for unstructured creative play for children 10 and younger. Smith contributes to the development of healthy children, strong families, and safe communities by: 1) maintaining a proud tradition of free family admission; 2) partnering with community-based organizations to reach a diverse audience; and 3) advocating for the importance of play. For more information about Smith please visit www.smithplayground.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Courtney Kupersmith
267.405.2348 | 215.765.4325
courtney@smithplayground.org

Smith Memorial Playground to Honor Alex Gilliam

and The Building Heroes at Party in the Playground

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Philadelphia, PA (April 22, 2014) – Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse will host its seventh annual adults-only cocktail party, Party in the Playground on Wednesday May 14, 2014 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Smith’s historic 16,000 square foot Playhouse and 6 ½ acre Playground in East Fairmount Park.  Party in the Playground is an important – and fun – way for Smith to raise the funds needed to keep admission to Smith free, and to support programs that use the power of play to help children be healthy, families be strong, and communities be safe.

This year’s event will feature hors d’oeuvres from popular food trucks; beer, a wine tasting, and margaritas; live music; games; and a silent auction, and the presentation of the Ida Newman Magic of Play Award to Alex Gilliam and The Building Heroes. Alex Gilliam is founder of Public Workshop, an organization that creates uniquely engaging opportunities for youth and their communities to shape the design of their cities. The Building Hero Project is Public Workshop’s young adult community design leadership program, comprised of a diverse group of 16-26 year old Building Heroes from across Philadelphia. Through leading improvements in their schools and public spaces they are becoming empowered change agents and helping make our City a better place to live through design.

Alex and the Building Heroes have been truly heroic at Smith over the past year. As part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s 2013 Legacy Project in Philadelphia, they led a project to transform an underutilized area on the Playground into a unique place for creative and imaginative play where visitors of all ages can Build Adventure. Meg Wise, Smith’s Executive Director, noted that “we are inspired by their imaginations, and grateful for the improvements they have helped make at Smith, and to public landscapes in Philadelphia and throughout the country.”

Tickets and more information are available at http://smithplayground.ticketleap.com/pip14/.

Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse is a non-profit organization located in Philadelphia’s East Fairmount Park.  Founded in 1899, Smith welcomes over 218,000 visitors annually from more than 500 zip code areas.  Smith’s mission is to be Philadelphia’s foremost resource for play by providing opportunities for unstructured creative play for children 10 and younger. Smith contributes to the development of healthy children, strong families, and safe communities by: 1) maintaining a proud tradition of free family admission; 2) partnering with community-based organizations to reach a diverse audience; and 3) advocating for the importance of play.  For more information about Smith please visit www.smithplayground.org.

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*Get Tickets*

Become a Sponsor | Donate an Auction Item | Buy A Program Ad

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Sack Race ($5,000)
Judy & Bud Newman and Rachel & Eric Schwartz

Simon Says ($1,000)
Elizabeth Cohen & David Whellan
Elinor Haider & Matthew Lee
Independence Foundation
Susan Jaffe
Peter F. Kelsen, Esq., Blank Rome LLP

Four Square ($500)
Danielle Banks, Esq.
Isabelle & Hanley Bodek
Anna Forrester & Mitchell Young
The Hankin Group
Jean Hemphill & Robert Warner
The Kearney Family
Bob & Gene Pratter
Jim Strazzella

In-Kind Sponsors:

We’ve partnered with Uber to offer all new users a free ride, up to $20, using the promotional code SMITHPLAYGROUND.

Uber is an iPhone/Android app that lets you tag your location and summon a professional driver to your side within minutes. Once in the car, the driver will take you wherever you need to go.The fare is billed to your card, with no need to tip, so you don’t have to worry about handling cash.

Just click the promo code and sign up! You’ll be riding in no time at all.

Play-A-Palooza | March 29 | 12-3pm

Kids 10 and younger and caregivers are invited to Smith’s Seasonal Grand Playground Opening party, Play-A-Palooza. Join us for 6 1/2 acres of play, crafts from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, games from Playworks, hands-on science from The Franklin Institute, activities from Arden Theatre Company, a mobile farm from Greener Partners and the Junior League of Philadelphia, soccer activities from Soccer Shots, building challenges from Sticklets, drinks from Honest Tea, treats, and more fun on the 6 1/2 acre Playground. Free for Smith members, $10 per child for non-members. Become a member here or get tickets here.

*Rain date is 3/30/14, 12-3pm.

 Get tickets here or become a member today! 

Get tickets, or become a member for just $25!

September 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, and 22
Performances at 10am, 11:30am, and 1pm

Dragon’s Eye Theatre, the creator of Seek and Hide, returns to Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse with A Mystery?, an all-new immersive, interactive theatrical adventure for kids ages 4 to 104.

A group of friends discover something unusual happening in Smith’s Playhouse, a mystery they must solve to save the house from a terrible fate. They form a secret society to tackle the case, then create a new language, dive into one imaginary world after another, argue, and work together to collect the clues they need, involving the audience in every step of their madcap mission.

Audience members described Seek and Hide, Dragon’s Eye’s first production at Smith, as “spectacular” and “hands-down the best performance for kids I’ve ever seen.” They raved about the captivating acting and the performers’ ability to respond to whatever the audience gave them. Educators and parents alike were thrilled the show invited everyone to get up, move around, and actively use their imaginations together. Kids enthusiastically told us, “It was awesome!” and “My favorite part was the whole thing!”

Expect more of Dragon’s Eye Theatre’s signature inventive, participatory theatrical style that engages audiences of all ages when you join us for A Mystery?

A Mystery? audience size is very limited, so purchase your tickets today!

Click here to read Smith’s 2012 Annual Report

Get tickets here, or become a member here. 

*Rain date is Thursday, July 18th at 7:00pm. Please check Smith’s website in the event of inclement weather.