San Francisco Celebrates Día de los Niños,
Día de los Libros

Get ready for the 9th annual Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros celebration in San Francisco, honoring children, families, and reading! Free and open to the public, this event offers interactive art activities and live multicultural music, dance, and storytelling. A book give-away provides each child with his or her own book.

WHEN:
Sunday, April 27, 2008
1:00-4:00 pm

WHERE:
Mission Dolores Park (Dolores St. @ 20th), San Francisco, CA
For general information or in case of rain call 415-575-3535 x14
for alternate location or you can send an email to DIA Event

In case of rain the event will be held at
San Francisco Bahá'i Center
170 Valencia Street @ Duboce

STAGE PROGRAM:
MC: Dr. Marisol Munoz-Kiehne, Host of "Nuestros Ninos,
" La Kalle 100.7-105.7FM/KLOK 1170AM
MC: Rona Renner, Executive Director & "Childhood Matters"
Host on 98.1 KISS-FM
12:50-1:20: Danza Xitlalli - Invocation & welcome by Aztecas troupe
1:30-2:00: Colibri - Bi-lingual songs and music from Latin America
2:10-2:40: Omulu Capoeira - Brazilian martial arts and music
2:50-3:20: Michael Katz - Interactive, multi-cultural storytelling
3:30-4:00: Young People's Teen Musical Theater Company -
Selctions from the musical "Into the Woods"

The following organizations have volunteered their time and services to make this event possible: Bay Area Discovery Museum, Childhood Matters, Children’s Book Press, KQED Education Network, Mayor’s Office of Community Development, Mission Learning Center, Nuestros Niños, San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, and San Francisco State University’s Jumpstart Program.

Event sponsors include: Bissap Baobab, City National Bank, First 5 San Francisco, Latino Community Foundation, San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families, Sixth Street Studios and Young Audiences of Northern California.

Here's what community members have had to say about past years' events:

"I come to this event every year. My family and I moved to San Jose two years ago, but we come back every year, because I really have fun doing the activities and like seeing the children perform".
11-year-old participant.

"There is no event like this in San Francisco, for us parents it's perfect because we get to do art projects without having to set up or clean up, plus we get all kinds of ideas for projects we can do at home with recycled materials".
Cristina Bodasaw, Nurse and Mother.

"This is the best way for us to spend a Sunday. We can use the playground, watch children perform and then go from activity to activity and you are giving away multilingual and multicultural books! -The passports to literacy are a great idea!"
Estela Hassan, Social Worker and Mother.

"I don't know how you are able to put together such a huge event! We really enjoy and appreciate it. For us it is important to celebrate our children and reinforce our cultural ways, so being able to have them dance for other children, helps them see that the community appreciates all of their hard work and dedication!"
Maria Sanchez, Aztec Dancer Grupo Xitlalli.

"For me as a father, the thing I enjoy the most is the great location, diverse activities and entertainment as well as a great opportunity to spend time with other families from the community".
Mateo Cordova, Community Leader and Father.

"I liked the African Queens the best and doing all of the fun activities. I liked playing with some of my friends from school".
Na'yani Thurman, 11-year-old Buena Vista Elementary Student  top^