17th ANNUAL TEDDY BEAR PICNIC SATURDAY JUNE 20

Sunnyside Children’s Foundation anticipates a record crowd of 7,000 area children and their families for the 17th annual Teddy Bear Picnic, Saturday, June 20, at Lake Ontario Park.

The Teddy Bear Picnic runs rain or shine, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. A hearty pancake breakfast opens the festivities, followed by a full day of activities and entertainment. Children can ride a miniature electric train through the park, enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride, and can take part in two dozen activities, ranging from face painting to storytelling, crafts to cookie decorating.

The always popular Teddy Bear Health Clinic will once again offer annual check-ups – furry patients only, please. The wellness conscious Teddy can also take advantage of a physiotherapy appointment, a session with a registered massage therapist, and a Shiatsu treatment.

Gerry Mitchell, one of the area’s most gifted and popular children’s entertainers, headlines and hosts a day-long schedule of stage performances that includes David Smith Marionettes, Barefoot Players, David Archibald, Rob Roy Highland Dancers, the Boys and Girls Club Youth Choir, and the Academy of Martial Arts.

Admission is $3 per child. Admission wristbands are available in advance at all Kingston branches of CIBC. Kingston Transit will once again provide a free ride on routes leading to the picnic to all children 12 and under carrying a teddy bear. A new option this year is to park at St. Lawrence College off King St. and take a shuttle to Lake Ontario Park.

Families are invited to pack along a picnic lunch, or may take advantage of a low-cost hot dog lunch at the park.

(from Kingston This Week)