Inside Edition: Sponge Bob Highlights the REAL Stories at Biscayne National Park’s Family Fun Fest

Date: March 4, 2015
Contact: Gary Bremen, 305-230-1144 x007

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA –Biscayne National Park is home to lots of sponges, plankton, octopus and sea stars, but none of them live in a pineapple under the sea. The March installment of Biscayne National Park's Family Fun Fest highlights the real stories of some of the characters in the popular Sponge Bob cartoons and movies. The free event takes place from 1-4 pm on Sunday, March 8, 2015 at the park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center, 9 miles east of Homestead. Visitors are encouraged to ride the free Homestead National Parks Trolley to and from the event. Visit www.CityofHomestead.com/Gateway for trolley details.

"Sponge Bob: Inside Edition!"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 play for toddlers. The 5 stations are:

• Bikini Bottom Job Fair –Discover a few of the many "jobs" available on a coral reef.
• Outside Edition –A zany skit highlighting Bob, Squidward and Sandy.
• The Real Sponge Bob –Learn how real sponges are the same and different from Mr. Squarepants.
• Sheldon Plankton –Create your own plankton and race it against others.
• Mrs. Puff's Boating School –Test your navigational skills and boating knowledge on Bikini Bottom Bay!

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

The final Family Fun Fest of the season will take place on April 12 with a celebration of the 15^th anniversary of Family Fun Fest: our Quinceañera event!!

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, Trash-2_Traesure 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.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 407 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.