Please forward all media inquiries to:
Kelly Skinner, Director of Public Relations
kskinner@StateTheatreNJ.org
732-247-7200, ext. 542

Post FAMILY DAY Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STATE THEATRE’S 4th ANNUAL

FAMILY DAY

REACHES SOME 6,000 PEOPLE 

New Brunswick, NJ (February 18, 2010)—On Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 15, 2010 the State Theatre held its fourth annual Family Day celebration. Hundreds of families of all ages came to downtown New Brunswick to experience a fun-filled day of shows, workshops, free activities, and more. Featuring performances of The Gazillion Bubble Show, Family Day was part of the State Theatre’s winter festival, Hub City Carnivale, four weeks of performances, activities, and attractions for children 1-100.

Total attendance at the Family Day festival included: 5,658 for the three performances of The Gazillion Bubble Show; 253 for 18 workshops presented by the State Theatre, American Repertory Ballet and the George Street Playhouse; and more than 2,200 people at free attractions which included Sing-A-Longs with Big Jeff, storytelling by Julie Pasqual, magic by Al Grout, and the Philadelphia Zoo’s “Zoo on Wheels.” 

Family Day stretched over multiple venues: the State Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Crossroads Theatre, United Methodist Church on George Street, and the Hub City Big Top. The festival brought together New Brunswick’s three major performing arts organizations.

Adding to the festival atmosphere was the Hub City Big Top—a tent set up on Livingston Avenue in front of the State Theatre. Under the Big Top families enjoyed food; free face painting and balloon animals; live characters from popular children’s shows such as Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and The Backyardigan’s; and music provided by DJ Mickey.

“The middle of winter and over 6,000 children and their parents on Livingston Avenue and in the theaters! What a great event.  It just keeps growing each year!” commented State Theatre President & CEO Wes Brustad.

Lian Farrer, the State Theatre’s Vice President for Education, added “We’re delighted by how quickly Family Day has become one of the State Theatre’s most popular and highly-anticipated events. This was certainly our biggest Family Day so far. We added lots of extra workshops and attractions and even expanded the size of the Hub City Big Top—and still just about every activity was sold out. As I walked around all the festival venues, I saw kids and adults completely engaged and excited. We couldn’t have pulled off a project this big without the support of our community, business, and cultural partners, including American Repertory Ballet, the George Street Playhouse, the Philadelphia Zoo, Christopher’s Restaurant, Miller’s Rentals, and the United Methodist Church. It was truly a group effort!”

Family Day was made possible by the generous support of Gannett Foundation, The Learning Experience-Edison, MomsLikeMe.com, and Miller’s Rentals. Community partners included American Repertory Ballet, George Street Playhouse, Mason Gross School of the Arts, and the Somerset Patriots.

For more information, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732-246-SHOW (7469), or visit us online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org. The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11am to 7pm and at least one hour prior to curtain on performance dates. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517.

The State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people’s lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. Continental Airlines is the official airline of the State Theatre. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre.

STATE THEATRE
15 Livingston Ave
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Ticket Office - 732-246-SHOW (7469)
Online - www.StateTheatreNJ.org

PHOTOS AND INTERVIEWS FURNISHED UPON REQUEST
Please contact Kelly Skinner at
732-247-7200, ext. 542 or by email at kskinner@StateTheatreNJ.org.

Information in this release is current as of February 18, 2010.
For up-to-the-minute information on events and State Theatre news,
visit the State Theatre online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org.
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