Storybook Land’s signature event, the Storybook Land Festival, will be returning this summer on July 19 and 20. It features published children’s authors, storytellers, and entertainment that are fun for the entire family. Activities will run from 4:00 to 8:30 PM on Friday and 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday.
Some special guests at this year’s festival include Absolute Science, The Dollipops, and the Storybook Land Theatre.
The Storybook Land Theatre’s Band is a staple at the festival.
Absolute Science is a group based out of Iowa that focuses on fun and educational programming. They will be holding three stage shows with plenty of audience participation during the festival. Attendees will also be able to try out their Mega Foam Blaster, which sprays safe, biodegradable foam.
The Dollipops are a musical duo that hold fun, interactive shows that help kids express their creativity through music. Their three shows will be held on the castle stage on Saturday.
The Storybook Land Theatre is another staple of the event and has been for many years. Guests can enjoy their plays and live music from their band on the Sertoma Stage.
Arts and craft stations will be available throughout the park during the festival.
The Storybook Land Festival was first held in 2006, which was Storybook Land’s 30th anniversary. It also coincided with another Aberdeen milestone – its quasquicentennial, which marks 125 years. It’s far from the first celebration that has been held since opening in 1976.
costumed characters have always been popular with the kids that attend the event.
“We’ve been holding children’s festivals for the past 44 years,” ARCC Supervisor David Eckert said. “We only missed one year, and that was 2020.”
In 1981, the first Youth Heritage Arts Festival was held in the park as a part of Aberdeen’s Centennial Celebration. The event proved to be successful and was held each year until 2005. The Youth Heritage Arts Festival was a way for children to participate and interact with a variety of art activities while learning about Aberdeen’s history. Sponsors of the festival included Aberdeen Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, The Boys and Girls Club of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Family Y, United Way, the Aberdeen Area Arts Council, Dacotah Prairie Museum, and the Alexander Mitchell Library. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts also helped out during the event.
“It started out as a literary and book festival, but started to become a way to celebrate Storybook Land and our unique park,” K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library Director Anna Moser said.
The Oz Festival was another event that was held between the Youth Heritage Arts Festival and the Storybook Land Festival.
Recreation Superintendent Gene Morsching said that the Storybook Land Festival is one of the park’s most-attended events. In 2019, there were around 6,000
attendees.
In addition to the Storybook Land Festival, several more free events will be held around town. The Storybook Land Theatre will perform each Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Friday from mid-June to early August. Tuesday performances begin at 10:00 AM and Wednesday and Friday performances begin at 7:00 PM. All shows are held at Storybook Land’s castle.
Storybook Land will also host local artists each Sunday on the Sertoma Stage. Concerts will be held each week until August 4, and each show begins at 2:00 PM.
Even more live music events will be held around town outside of Storybook Land. The Aberdeen Municipal Band concerts will be held on Thursday nights at Melgaard Park on their portable Showmobile stage. The ARCC and the Aberdeen Area Arts Council will be working together to hold the Pauer Music Festival in August as well. //
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