ST. PAUL, Minn. (April 26, 2016) — The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts today announced the lineup for the 16th annual Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, one of the largest children’s festivals of its kind in the country. This world-class family event, which will take place May 31-June 5, showcases diverse art and cultures of more than 25 countries from across the globe. Family Weekend (June 4-5) will feature free outdoor performances, crafts and activities in and around the Ordway, as well as indoor performances by international artists from four different countries.

The 2016 featured indoor artists include: Acrobuffos’ Air Play, Viento de Agua Unplugged, Presentation House Theatre’s Where the Wild Things Are and Marionetas de la Esquina’s Sleeping Beauty Dreams. Performances cost just $5 per ticket and will take place on stages at the Ordway and Landmark Center.

The popular outdoor spectacle returns for the 2016 Festival with Squonk Opera’s Pneumatica, a concert with live original music that permeates the air while inflatables pump up and immerse the audience. Powered by fans and turbines, the 40-foot-tall “Lady Pneumatica” is brought to life through music, imagery and the power of air.

Family Weekend also features free entertainment and activities throughout the Ordway, Rice Park and Wells Fargo Family Plaza, including:

More than 30 free outdoor performances by 550 local artists and groups representing cultural traditions from around the world. Performances will take place on the Flint Hills World Music Stage and the Wells Fargo World Dance Stage.
Folktales and songs from across the globe as told by Twin Cities storytellers and musicians in the Xcel Energy Story Time Corner.
The Clear Channel Outdoor ARTwalk, a walking tour through downtown St. Paul highlighting hundreds of pieces of art created by young people.
Craft activities from 25 different arts, cultural and educational organizations around the Twin Cities.
An instrument petting zoo where children can experience musical instruments from all over the world up-close.
The Touch of Sound, an interactive audio installation featuring the sounds of St. Paul.
Dozens of family-friendly activities such as face painting, balloon artists, henna tattoos, juggling, dance lessons and more.

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival to life for its 16th year! Flint Hills Resources has been involved with making the Festival happen since day one, and we’re so grateful for their generous support. Each year the event gets bigger and better, and the 2016 Festival is no exception,” said Dayna Martinez, artistic director of world music, dance and the International Children’s Festival at the Ordway. “One of the new things I’m most excited about this year is the addition of the Fun Zone on Washington St. right in front of the Ordway. The street will be filled with activities for kids of all ages, including do-it-yourself face painting stations, the always popular juggling area with Mr. Fun, costumed characters roaming the area, and much more!”

“Flint Hills is excited to celebrate the Children’s Festival’s sweet sixteenth birthday,” said Geoff Glasrud, vice president and manufacturing manager at the Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount. “Nowhere can you find a more diverse celebration of culture that includes everything from arts and crafts to world-class performances by international artists that each year inspire and entertain thousands of children and families.”

Nearly 70,000 people are expected to attend the 2016 Festival, including more than 20,000 students and teachers from schools across Minnesota and western Wisconsin who will attend international performances, participate in hands-on activities and engage in artist workshops throughout the week during School Days (May 31-June 3). More than 770,000 people have attended the Festival since its inception in 2001. For a complete listing of events or to purchase indoor performance tickets, visit www.ordway.org/festival.

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2016 FLINT HILLS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL

QUICK REFERENCE AND SCHEDULE

School Days: May 31-June 3

Family Weekend: June 4-5

Indoor performances: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Weyerhaeuser Theater in Landmark Center

Free outdoor performances and activities: Rice Park, Wells Fargo Family Plaza

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

345 Washington Street

Saint Paul, MN 55102

Ticket Office: 651-224-4222

www.ordway.org/festival

FEATURED INDOOR PERFORMANCES (All shows $5 per ticket)

Air Play by Acrobuffos

Music Theater, Ordway

June 4 at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

June 5 at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

A comic adventure on an epic scale. Air Play is an innovative and spectacular all-ages show featuring high-flying air sculptures, dancing kites, hovering balloons and soaring umbrellas that will inspire moments of sheer wonder.

Viento de Agua Unplugged

Concert Hall, Ordway

June 4 at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

June 5 at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Viento de Agua Unplugged will have you dancing and singing along in your seats as they perform stripped-down, all-percussion versions of the Afro-Puerto Rican influenced bomba and plena.

Where the Wild Things Are by Presentation House Theatre

Drake Room, Ordway

June 4 at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

June 5 at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

This interactive adventure follows a rambunctious boy named Max as he is transported to a faraway island where he befriends the Wild Things and helps to “let the Wild Rumpus begin.”

Sleeping Beauty Dreams by Marionetas de la Esquina

Weyerhaeuser Auditorium, Landmark Center

June 4 at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

June 5 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

A young princess with overprotective parents seeks the freedom to search for true love, and her true self, in this whimsical puppet performance based loosely on the popular fairy tale.

OUTDOOR SPECTACLE (Free)

Squonk Opera’s Pneumatica

Outdoor Installation

June 4 at 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

June 5 at 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Pneumatica is an event about air, made of air and powered by air. Fantastic figures and shapes rise and grow with the power of air, culminating in the 40-foot tall Lady Pneumatica, who rides the wind and sails high above the crowd.

For a complete schedule of all Family Weekend free outdoor events, visit www.ordway.org/festival.

Festival photos are available for download at www.ordway.org/media.

ABOUT THE ORDWAY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul’s most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway’s Music Theater and Concert Hall attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway’s mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children’s Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve more than 50,000 students annually. Together with Minnesota Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and The Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances. For more information, visit www.ordway.org.

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts — 30 years of presenting, producing and investing in the performing arts.

ABOUT FLINT HILLS RESOURCES

Flint Hills Resources, LLC, through its subsidiaries, is a leading refining, chemicals and biofuels company, with operations primarily in Texas and the Midwest. Its manufacturing capability is built upon six decades of refining experience, and the company has expanded its operations through capital projects and acquisitions worth more than $13 billion since 2002. The company is based in Wichita, Kansas, and its more than 5,000 employees strive to create value for customers and society.

The Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery produces transportation fuels used throughout the Midwest, including most of Minnesota’s gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, as well as other products people rely on such as propane and asphalt. Located 17 miles southeast of Minneapolis, Pine Bend has a capacity of 339,000 barrels per day and is among the cleanest, most efficient, and safest oil refineries in the country. Flint Hills Resources directly and indirectly supports more than 4,000 Minnesota jobs and has invested nearly $1.7 billion on upgrades and improvements to its Minnesota facilities since 2010. With 1,300 full-time employees, the Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery is one of the largest employers in Dakota County. More information about the company is available at pinebendrefinery.com.

Jessica Petrie | 651.282.3113 | Fax 651.215.2113
PR Manager | Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street | Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 | ordway.org