PHOTOS: Children enjoy bubbles, balloons and more at Turkey Creek Festival
Five-year-old Reagan dances with her new balloon tiger. She says her tiger loves to dance. Photo credit Kylie Graham.
With sunshine and warm weather, families flocked to Antioch Park on Saturday for the annual Turkey Creek Festival.
Festival goers enjoyed the usual inflatable bounce houses, face painting, a petting zoo, craft making, food trucks, live music and more.
New this year were a “dinosaur encounter,” bubble party and pie-eating contest for all ages.
Eleven-year-old Richard Cummins was crowned the first ever Turkey Creek Festival Pie Eating Champion. Cummins competed in the 12 and under category and was the first to down his apple-cherry pie.
Cummins said he got a late surge of energy in the competition from the supportive cheering of his cousin in the crowd. Meanwhile, Cummins’s other cousin, 10-year-old Emily Markham, also competed and took second in the division.
The bubble party also appeared to be another crowd favorite. Children and adults alike were allowed to create their own giant bubbles. However, many found more joy in chasing and popping the bubbles.
Here are more scenes from this year’s Turkey Creek Festival:
Children attempt to pop bubbles during the bubbleologist party at the Turkey Creek Festival on Saturday, May 18 at Antioch Park. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Eleven-year-old Richard Cummins competes in the first-ever Turkey Creek Festival Pie Eating Contest. The contest was divided by age. Cummins placed first in the 12-and-under division. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Brecklyn Call and Frankie Hampton play in an inflatable bouncy house. Hampton said the inflatables are his favorite part of the festival. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Children chase after bubbles during the bubble party at the Turkey Creek Festival on Saturday, May 18 at Antioch Park. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Six-year-old LJ Dunleavy of Overland Park plays a triangle at the “Bach to Rock” tent, one of many interactive vendor tents at the Turkey Creek Festival. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Carrington Peery, seven, pets a dinosaur during the “dinosaur encounter” show. The show was offered twice during the festival and allowed children to participate. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Anna Gonzales observes her unicorn face paint. Saturday was Gonzales’s fifth birthday and she said face paint was the best part. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Luke, three, plays with bubbles during the bubble party. Children and adults were allowed to use different strings to create small and large bubbles. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Maddie (center) pets a goat at the petting zoo exhibit. Goats, a donkey and a llama were all featured in this year’s petting zoo. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Two-year-old Jameson Soo plays during the drum safari. Children were encouraged to play instruments along with the professionals. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Three-year-old Everett Larson, left, chases bubbles. His mother said the festival provides so much family fun and outdoor time. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Emily Markham, 10, competes in the 12-and-under division of the pie-eating contest. She placed second behind her cousin Richard Cummins, who sat immediately to her left. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Aylin, four, creates a giant bubble during the bubble party. Children were able to create bubbles of all sizes. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Four-year-old Ivy Karst, of Lenexa, picks out a sticker to place on the shaker she created with Rhythm Crafts. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Charlie (left) and Reagan wait for their balloon animals to be made. Balloon animals were offered for free to all festival goers. Photo credit Kylie Graham.Rosalie Moore, five, sits while her face paint butterfly is completed. Moore’s favorite animal is a butterfly as she wore butterfly shorts and shoes to match. Photo credit Kylie Graham.
Kylie Graham is a Johnson County native and graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who does freelance photography around the Kansas City metro.
