Annual Clark County Children’s Festival to offer fun and learning for all ages

The Clark County Children’s Festival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m April 26 at the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive.

“We’ve had great weather for the festival the last five or six years, but at the first one, we had wind,” said Dixie Dooley, who will be returning as master of ceremonies at the 21st annual event. “It had gotten so bad we had to move my show into the gym, which is where the theater is now.”

Dooley, a magician who lives walking distance of the center, has performed at every one of the festivals.

“I like to be able to give back to the community, and I’ve always performed for kids,” he said. “It’s a great event, and everyone always has a great time there.”

Dooley moved to Las Vegas from Florida, where he was a performer and had a children’s TV show. Within two days of arriving, he had a job in “Here’s Entertainment” at the Bourbon Street Casino. The show featured impressionists. Dooley was hired to perform as Houdini, but during the day, he continued performing for kids at libraries and Clark County Parks and Recreation Department venues.

“When the children’s festival started, I was the logical performer to bring in, because Parks and Recreation was already working with me,” he said.

Dooley said he is semiretired but always makes a point of coming back to work at the children’s festival. He spends a lot of time writing and has penned three books.

The event is set to include food, beverages, vendors and attractions, including a rock climbing wall and pony rides. Admission is free for the shows and activities.

“It was a big success again last year, so this year we’re bringing pretty much the same things back,” said Joseph House, a recreation and cultural specialist and an organizer of the event. “We’ll have the amusement rides, Roos-N-More, a Ren Faire group and performances throughout, including ones by the Winchester dance group, the Star Catchers.”

House said a popular art tile project is set to return. Children will work with volunteer artists to create tiles that will be installed to create a permanent piece of art on one of the walls at the Winchester Cultural Center.

“We’re also going to have a new group called A New Day… A New Way this year,” House said. “They will be doing children’s fitness activities and games.”

Dooley said there will be a few new performers, including Geovanni Zamora, who will be juggling and fire-eating.

“We’re also going to have Mini Mike, a miniature Michael Jackson,” Dooley said. “She’s a little girl who does a great Michael Jackson, but she also is an acrobat and does stilt walking.”

For more information on the event, visit clarkcountynv.gov or call 702-455-7340.

Contact East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.