Kids, take part in mural project with Freedom Festival pick-up activity box

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival announces plans to shift in-person kids programming to a pick-up art/activity box. These free boxes will be available for pick up beginning this Saturday at select Hy-Vee locations.

“When we started to take a look at what in-person programming would look like in 2021, we weren’t sure if families would feel comfortable with our normal kid’s activities like bouncy houses, face painting, sharing building blocks, etc. during a pandemic,” said Karol Shepherd, Freedom Festival Executive Director.

The Festival will be partnering with the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy (EIAA) to provide all the supplies for kids ages 6-16 to create a piece of printmaking artwork. After it’s completed, families are asked to mail in the artwork to the EIAA, who will then create a large community art mural that will be on display at the Volta Youth Music Festival on June 26 at NewBo City Market.

Boxes are first-come, first-serve, and there is a maximum of two per family.

Saturday pickups start at 9 a.m. at the Hy-Vee stores on First Avenue, Sixth Street, Blairs Ferry Road and Johnson Avenue.

Boxes also will be available from the Cedar Rapids Park & Rec Rollin’ Recmobile’s stops on June 10 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Greene Square; and on June 11 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Bever Park.

The Kid’s Art/Activity Boxes are made possible by Surgery Center of Cedar Rapids, with additional items provided by Hills Bank, Tanager Place, Waypoint, Boy Scouts of America, Save the Children Action Network, Mediacom, and Z102.9.

The Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival returns June 14 to July 4 and continues to follow safety guidelines and recommendations of Linn County Public Health and the city of Cedar Rapids.

For updates, go online to https://www.freedomfestival.com/ or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CRFreedomFestival