A free afternoon at the Lincoln Theatre
CAPA will host its Día de los Niños/Day of the Children event from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St. The annual Columbus event celebrates children and Latino culture through activities and performances. Admission to all activities is free, but families must register in advance.
CAPA’s Education and Engagement Department launched the event in 2023 as an extension of Festival Latino. Its stated focus is children and the celebration of Latino culture. On Oct. 11, the program will bring arts, dance, science demonstrations, music and storytelling together in the theatre and Lincoln Ballroom.
Activities and performances
The afternoon begins in the Lincoln Ballroom. Children can make balloon art and crafts, and Ballet Folclórico Xochihua will offer dance and instruction. COSI will present science demonstrations, while the Columbus Symphony will provide an instrument petting zoo.
Next, award-winning artist David Gonzalez will present “Cuentos: Tales from the Latinx World.” The show features colorful stories and songs, positive messages, compelling plots and memorable characters, according to the event information. Gonzalez’s stories include Spanish words young audience members can listen for.
The schedule mixes performances with hands-on activities. It doesn’t center on a single program. Dance instruction, science demonstrations and the instrument petting zoo appear alongside balloon art and crafts, and storytelling follows the ballroom activities. The event information describes the program as a celebration of children and Latino culture, and lists each activity as part of the afternoon’s offering.
Registration, prizes and purpose
Drawings for tickets to local museums, touring shows and other prizes will take place immediately after Gonzalez’s show. Food will be available for purchase from the Dos Hermanos food truck. All activities are free, but advance registration is required for admission; free admission doesn’t remove that requirement.
CAPA describes the event as part of a broader practice: many countries set aside an annual day to celebrate childhood and advocate for children’s happiness, well-being and promising futures. Dates and traditions differ among countries. The shared purpose is to make children feel special by devoting a day to them.
For this Columbus event, CAPA’s program pairs that child-focused purpose with performances and activities tied to Latino culture. The announcement doesn’t describe changes to public policy, population figures or effects on other cultural communities. It specifies the event’s location, hours, activities and registration requirement, along with the organizations and performers taking part. Families planning to attend must register in advance for admission to the free Oct. 11 program.