Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival Recap from a San Diego Mom {Guest Post}

My oldest daughter has loved Hullabaloo since she first saw them preform when she was 3, at one of our playgroups. So it was a no-brainer when Danielle asked me if we wanted to attend The Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival since her family was going to be out of town that weekend.

Gigi (my 2 year old) has seen them twice, and always loves dancing along, especially when the bubble machine comes out. I do have to admit that I was a little nervous that Belle & her girlfriend would be bored, since she is now almost 9 and prefers Katy Perry to kids folk music, but I was SO wrong.

The festival was perfect for both of my kids, and Belle & Grace kept running up to me to say what an awesome time they were having. The kids colored a paper guitar, dressed up in princess clothes, hula hooped, received free candy & tshirts, and that was all before we even watched one of the bands play.

We stayed for a few hours, and finished our day with a visit to the food trucks where the kids happily enjoyed their cheese sticks, hot dogs and french fries.

A great time was had by all, and even my Mom, Ghacki, had a blast!

This is a guest post from my friend Tessa of Grin & Share It Photography. She was kind enough to take my Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival tickets off my hands while I was out of town for the event.

She runs an amazing San Diego photography business and we've been lucky to have her behind the camera for many of our family photo sessions.

Dance all Day and Raise a Ruckus with Hullabaloo #FamilyArtsFestSD

When we get in the car the first thing I hear from the back seat is, "Can you put Hullabaloo on??"

Yup, that's right. My kids are Hullabaloo groupies. They get upset when we miss a concert, know the words to just about all of the songs, and love watching the YouTube videos of Joann with Sign4Baby signing along as Steve sings. They also love watching the Hullabaloo Steve channel on YouTube as well.

So when we heard there was a new Hullabaloo CD, Raise a Ruckus, being released, there were many excited screams and yells. And as soon as our shiny new copy came in the mail we popped it into the computer and started dancing along!

And the new release paired with the upcoming Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival (enter to win tickets!) left my kids very happy. 

Pin It

Once my kids went through the songs on the CD a few times they started to choose favorites. And since our after nap/pre-dinner dance party is still a daily occurrence, I now get requests for specific songs on the new CD each afternoon.

My daughter is obsessed with "Raise a Ruckus" and as soon as she hears the first few notes she starts moving her feet and her booty along to the beat. It's fresh, catchy tunes and lyrics put a smile on her face and a skip to her step.

Now my son still prefers "Blah Blah Blah" from Hey Everybody but his second most requested track is "Rocket Shoes." He's also made a request for a pair of rocket shoes for Christmas. I told him maybe we could get him a cape...

If you're looking for a feel-good, upbeat CD for your kids that won't leave you wanting to wear noise-cancelling headphones in the car, I highly suggest checking out Raise a Ruckus by Hullabaloo. Not only will you be tempted to sing along, you might find yourself playing the CD when the kids are no longer in the car...

To experience Hullabaloo, head on over to their website and check out their store. You can listen to a snippet of each song and get a feel for just how awesome Hullabaloo is.

The album is available everywhere on iTunes, Amazon.com, CDBaby and virtually all online music retailers so head over and download your copy today!

Interested in winning a copy?

Simply fill out the rafflecopter form below before September 20th at 11:59pm for your chance to win a copy of Raise a Ruckus! This is a great alternative for those who cannot make it to the Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival. You can simply put on the CD and have a festival of your own at home!

Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival #FamilyArtsFestSD {San Diego Activities}

The Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival is coming back! And this year its expanded so much they've had to move locations! Come on out for a day of music, memories, and fun as we enjoy the amazing activities set up for us.

Date: Saturday, September 22nd
Time:  11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location:  Liberty Station NTC Promenade, also know as the North Promenade
Admission:  $7 per person; children under the age of 1 are free;
Family Pack of tickets: $20 for up to five family members total!

Purchase tickets here

If you order your tickets in time you will be sent a wristband in the mail so that you can "waltz right in" - How awesome is that?

Here's what you can expect at the festival -  

Music

Families can look forward to hearing two sets of Hullabaloo, but that's not all!  We will also be joined by Patty Hall, and The Hollow Trees.  Sets will go on throughout the festival.

Food
Families can bring their own food this year, or enjoy food from one of four food trucks coming.  I'd save my appetite for the trucks! So yummy!

Miho Gastro Truck (2)
Food Farm San Diego
Mr. Groggy's

Children's Literature Zone

We've paired up with Yellow Book Road to create a relaxing escape where you can hear local San Diego authors read their own books!  Come hear books read by

Kathryn Cloward -- Kathryn the Grape
Charles Johnson -- Storyteller
Luciana Navarro Powell -- My Dad is the Best Playground
Terry Kraszewski -- Surf Angel
Joann Woolley -- Sign4Baby (signing story time)
Darren Perman -- Wookiwoo, I Love You
Jeff Garcia -- Santa and the Molokai Mules

Yellow Book Road is also working on having a character come- more info on that coming soon!

Creativity Zone

Our friends at Art Soup, drop-in art studio in Encinitas, have signed on to provide a full day of art activities at the festival. They always come prepared with fun, creative activities and a great staff to make it fun and easy.

Dance

There will be an entire zone dedicated to dance performance and impromptu dance classes for the little ones.

Handmade Market

Come check out some local handmade artists, crafters and more!  We'll have lots of goodies for sale- get some early holiday shopping out of the way!

A special thanks to the Festival Sponsors: Clif Kids, Urban Sitter, SoCal Kids San Diego, Andersen by Design, and Mon Petit Chateau

You can enter to win an amazing prize pack for the Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival on the Simmworks Family Blog!

One winner will receive:

• one Family Pack of tickets, good for up to 5 people (children under 1 year are free)
• A Clif Kid goodie bag
• A free pass to Mon Petit Chateau, good for a one-day visit, up to three children (siblings only)
• one $50 gift card to Renewal By Andersen Windows
• 1 pass to Smart Kids Time, courtesy of SoCal Kids San Diego
• 1 family pass to the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre, also courtesy of SoCal Kids San Diego
• $20 of babysitting services from Urban Sitter!

Giveaway winners will collect their giveaway prize when admitted to the festival - you must be able to attend the festival on September 22nd to be eligible to win! Enter to win in the rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway