An especially fun event for music-loving families took take place on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Love Park. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on that day, the annual festival, Heights Kids’ Day of Music (HKDM), celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a Decade of Impact. When the festival began ten years ago, “. . . we wanted a way to get kids and families excited about music and to introduce them to different arts organizations in Houston,” says Christi Gell, president and founder of HKDM. “Each year, we hear stories about how kids and families get more engaged with music and the arts after the festival. Kids sign up for music classes, families attend performances of the groups they meet at the festival, and educators bring programs from our Creative Zone organizations into their schools.” 

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Looking at this year’s program and the lineup of performers, it’s no wonder kids and parents participate even more in music-related activities after attending the popular festival. The instrument Petting Zoo introduced attendees to different types of instruments and encouraged them to try them out. The Joy of Djembe Drumming group led hands-on drumming experiences and presented drumming performances in the Joy of Drumming tent. In the Singing Station, Opera in the Heights and Ars Lyrica Houston led singing workshops and presented a special performance of the children’s play Maria’s Magical Music Adventure, which was underwritten by Connie Kwan-Wong and CKW LUXE Magazine. The whimsical play was written by Tim Fried-Fiori and Emma Kent Wine, directed by Tim Fried-Fiori, and produced by Express Children’s Theater and Ars Lyrica Houston. It is based on the Ars Lyrica Houston children’s book of the same name written by Emma Kent Wine and is a must-see.

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The Creative Zone, where 36 arts organizations, each with its own music- or arts-focused booth, came together, is what makes HKDM the most unique. Here, attendees were invited to participate in activities offered by each organization. Many of these organizations, including, but not limited to, Houston Grand Opera, The Alley Theatre, Institute of Contemporary Dance in Houston, pARTnerschools, Segundo Barrio Children’s Chorus, Young Audiences of Houston, Houston Tidelanders, and Houston Youth Symphony also performed onstage, showcasing their family and children’s/youth programming. 

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Starting at 1p.m., attendees participated in a Creative Zone scavenger hunt and picked up birthday cupcakes from Creative Zone booths. Everyone who completed the scavenger hunt was entered to win one of three gift baskets that included free tickets to performances of the Creative Zone organizations, sweet treats, art supplies, and more.