Kidz Fest in downtown Joliet on Saturday

Event kids activities and a Lewis University ‘mini-campus’ with airplane

Kidz Fest, a downtown Joliet event that that includes pony rides, magic shows and even an airplane, will be held Saturday.

The 18th annual Kidz Fest presented by Lewis University will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Activities are free, and they include pony rides, a petting farm, magic shows, face painting and more, according to a news release from the Joliet City Center Partnership.

Food and beverages will be available for sale.

The airplane will be on display as part of a mini-campus set up by Lewis University, which is the presenting sponsor for the event. A child who visits and completes activities at four booths at the mini-campus will get pilot wings.

The University of St. Francis also is participating as an attraction sponsor.

More than 40 vendors will be on site providing interactive activities for children, according to the release.

Children aged 12 and under who live within Joliet city limits and attend a school within Joliet city limits will also have an opportunity to win a ride to school in a fire truck. Parents may visit the Joliet City Center Partnership information booth in front of the Rialto Square Theatre on the day of the event to fill out a free entry form for the fire truck ride.

“Families are the foundation of our community,” Priscilla Cordero, executive director of the City Center Partnership, said in the release. “We want to provide interactive and fun activities for children while also promoting all that downtown has to offer.”