Aquarium of the Pacific Hosts 19th Annual International Children’s Festival Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24, 2024

April 4, 2024

WHAT: The Aquarium of the Pacific’s nineteenth annual International Children’s Festival is a special festival for kids and takes place the weekend of March 23 and 24. Celebrating the talents of children of many cultures, this festival features cultural presentations and performances by children. Origami, martial arts presentations, a drum circle, and cultural dances, including Cambodian, Irish, Korean, Mexican, and Pacific Islander, and Persian storytelling and art are included in the programming.

The Aquarium and Memorial Care Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach will also be honoring Alina Jean-Baptiste with the annual Young Hero Award in recognition of the student’s efforts to make our planet a better place. Jean-Baptiste is dual-enrolled in high school and at Long Beach Community College. She has a passion for engineering and the environment and participates in the Poly Green Team at Long Beach Polytechnic Highschool and is dedicated to help stop the climate crisis including through involvement as the hub president and lead organizer of Sunrise Movement.

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday

• 10:00 a.m. Nixon Academy Musical Troupe / Honda Blue Cavern
• 10:45 a.m. Martial-arts performance – American Tiger Martial Arts – Kyin Kung-Fu Demonstration Team / Honda Blue Cavern
• 11:30 a.m. Persian Nowruz – Story & Music by Camy, Chloe, and Cyrus Zahiri / Honda Pacific Visions Theater
• 12:15 p.m. Tahitian, Samoan & Maori presentation – Nonosina / Honda Blue Cavern
• 1:00 p.m. Slovak and Czech folklore music and dance – Podkovička / Honda Pacific Visions Theater
• 1:45 p.m. Chinese folk dance – Irvine Chinese School / Honda Blue Cavern
• 2:30 p.m. West African drumming and dancing – Dembrebrah / Honda Pacific Visions Theater
• 3:15 p.m. Irish traditional dance – Power Academy of Irish Dance / Honda Blue Cavern
• 4:00 p.m. Mexican folklorico dance – Ballet Folklorico Aztlan / Honda Pacific Visions Theater

Sunday

• 10:00 a.m. Storytime with the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Teen Climate Council / Honda Blue Cavern
• 10:45 a.m. Fantasia Dance Ensemble / Honda Blue Cavern
• 11:30 a.m. Viorhythm – kid’s violin pop group / Honda Pacific Visions Theater
• 12:15 p.m. Tahitian, Samoan & Maori presentation – Nonosina / Honda Blue Cavern
• 1:00 p.m. Young Hero Award Ceremony honoring Alina Jean-Baptiste / Honda Pacific Visions Theater
• 1:45 p.m. Jungle Drum Circle – Chazz Ross / Honda Blue Cavern
• 2:30 p.m. Traditional Korean dance – Kim Eung Hwa Korean Dance Group / Honda Pacific Visions Theater
• 3:15 p.m. Mexican folklorico dance – Ballet Folklorico Aztlan / Honda Blue Cavern
• 4:00 p.m. Cambodian classical dance – Modern Apsara / Honda Pacific Visions Theater

Cultural Demonstrators & Exhibitors

• Bitty Bao
• Fish Contamination Education Collaborative
• Musical Theater West
• Peninsula Paper Folders
• Environmental Defenders – Saturday only
• Aquarium of the Pacific’s Teen Climate Council – Sunday only
• Adventures to Dreams – Sunday only

WHERE: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802

COST: Included with general admission: $44.95 per adult (ages 12+), $29.95 per child (ages 3-11), $41.95 per senior (ages 62+), and free for Aquarium members and children under age three / Advance reservations required

INFO: (562) 590-3100 or webpage

FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY: MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach provides specialized pediatric care for children and young adults, as well as maternity care for expectant mothers. Only five percent of hospitals are children’s hospitals, making them unique not only to children’s health care needs in the community, but across the region. Miller Children’s & Women’s is one of only eight free-standing children’s hospitals in California — treating more than 14,000 children each year — and has become a regional pediatric destination for more than 62,000 children, who need specialized care in outpatient specialty and satellite centers. With maternal-fetal medicine specialists and neonatologists available 24/7, Miller Children’s & Women’s cares for women with high-risk pregnancies and premature infants under one roof. Learn more millerchildrens.org.

AQUARIUM: The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diversity and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored. Home to more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium exhibits include the Southern California Gallery, Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities, Pacific Visions, and Shark Lagoon. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, including First Wednesdays featuring guest speakers. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months and other special benefits. To make a donation to help support the Aquarium, please visit Pacific.to/donate. To visit, reservations are required for everyone and can be made at aquariumofpacific.org or by calling (562) 590-3100. The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802.