Biscayne National Park’s Family Fun Fest Season 14 Concludes with “A Sesame Street Salute”

Date: April 8, 2014
Contact: Gary Bremen, 305-230-1144, x007

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – The fuzzy monsters, giant birds and math-loving vampires that live on Sesame Street are heading to Biscayne National Park on Sunday, April 13, from 1-4 p.m. for the final event in Biscayne National Park's fourteenth season of Family Fun Fest. The free event takes place at the park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center, 9 miles east of Homestead. Visitors are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Sesame Street character and to ride the free Homestead National Parks Trolley to and from the event. Visit www.CityofHomestead.com/Gateway for trolley details.

"A Sesame Street Salute" continues the partnership between Sesame Street, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation that started last year with a series of videos featuring park rangers teaching Elmo and Murray about park habitats and animals. The event will feature five hands-on and engaging activity stations located around the visitor center. An additional Family Fun Fest Junior station offers an opportunity for creative educational play for toddlers. The 6 stations are:

• Big Bird – How do you compare in size to Biscayne's biggest birds – past and present?
• Oscar the Grouch – Learn all about composting from Oscar's buddy, Slimy the Worm!
• Bert & Ernie – Will Bert EVER get to sleep when he goes camping with Ernie?
• The Count – Counting is fun…especially when you are counting birds, fish and other animals.
• Cookie Monster – Everyone knows that "C" is for Coral!
• Elmo – A special station for parents with toddlers!

Participants receive a passport to get stamped at each activity station, and those who complete all five activities (or two activities for Family Fun Fest Junior participants) will earn a specially-designed button to remember the day. Earning all five buttons in a season earns a Family Fun Fest Fanatic award this month.

Family Fun Fest is made possible through the donations of generous visitors and the Bobby Duryea Fund at the South Florida National Parks Trust, with additional support from the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves, Sesame Workshop, the Ceramic League of Miami, Trash-2-Treasure Creative Reuse Center and a host of dedicated volunteers.

The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is located at 9700 SW 328 Street, nine miles east of Homestead, Florida. Call 305-230-7275, extension 0 or visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/bisc for more information. For regular updates from the park, "like" us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BiscayneNPS and "follow" us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BiscayneNPS.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.