At the Great Big Family Play Day, a mermaid wearing glittery blue lipstick sitting in a tub sang a familiar tune for kids who were gathering around.
She sounded just like Ariel, from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Parents who stood near watched curiously as their kids listened attentively. She was one of three mermaids there to promote an LA-based kids party business. Little girls wanted to wear mermaid fins (which were available) and parents had questions about pricing and booking fees.
Hundreds of families gathered at Griffith Park on Sunday to take part of the SoCal MOMS 4th Annual Great Big Family Play Day known as “the ultimate family festival & expo”. Dozens of vendors promoting products and services were on hand, from Infant CPR trainers and headshot photographers to baby food companies and the mermaids entertaining the children.
In a promotional video by SoCal MOMS on Instagram, the annual event is described as “food and fun and booths everywhere.” A beer garden near the Autry Museum of the American West was set-up for legal-age drinking adults ready to take a break from bouncy houses, water games and the festive and cheerful music of the Beat Buds.
The annual festival is still in its early stages but it’s bound to become a long-standing LA Tradition for families. Parents love open-air spaces where they can interact with one another, watch their children play and shop while they’re at it. While the event is not free, families get to take home a generous amount of swag from enthusiastic vendors. By the end of the 6-hour event, everyone leaves home a happier Angeleno.
“The energy here is so fun,” said a SoCal MOMS ambassador.
Information for next year’s Big Family Play Day has not been released but parents should check out the event website for more information and keep their May 2018 calendars open. This one is worth it.