(This article was taken from Florence Family Fun, and can be found here. Please visit their blog as they are very informative and helpful, and always have the best events listed!)

Every year for several years now, Cornerstone Baptist Church has hosted Kidz Fest. This year’s takes place on Sunday, May 16 from 10 AM to 2 PM. I am always impressed and amazed at what an incredibly fun event they put on for kids and families in the area.

First of all, it’s free - all of it, including the t-shirt they give you when you arrive! Last year’s activities included more bounce castles, slides, and other inflatables than you can count, carnival games (think ring toss, go fish, etc.) with prizes, pony rides (yes, that’s right, free pony rides), fire truck and fire safety exhibits, skits for the kids to watch, crafts, clowns, hay rides, and I’m sure there’s something I’ve forgotten.

Did I mention that they provide lunch for free too? The lunch menu, assuming it hasn’t changed from years past, is hot dogs with all the fixings, baked beans, chips, and homemade desserts (brownies, pound cake, cookies). Drinks are set up outside the dining tent - lots of different choices and always lots of water, all very cold (in ice, not refrigerators, so they are REALLY cold!)

If you’ve never been, one thing that might surprise you is that all the rides and games shut down for a half hour in the morning and then once again in the afternoon. It’s during this time that the gospel is presented to kids and adults alike, usually in a very entertaining manner. My boys and I are still laughing about last year’s skit which starred the lesser known super heroes Flat Man and Bobbin.

If you plan to attend, Cornerstone Baptist Church is located just inside Darlington County at I-20’s exit 137.