On Tuesday afternoon, the Crown Point Mayor’s Office of Special Events and the Crown Point Parks Department hosted a New Year’s Eve pizza party at St. Matthias Parish for local children and their families. This is the sixth annual Kids’ New Year’s Eve Pizza Party that the Mayor’s Office has put together.
The celebration kicked off at two in the afternoon and lasted through five in the evening, with many entertaining activities for the children and their parents to partake in. Entertainment for the afternoon included music and games from 5 Star DJ, magician Steve Belliveau of Fine Arts Magic Entertainment, as well as balloon animals and face painting from Beth Kreke, who appeared as Cricket the Clown. Pizza from Carriage Court, beverages, and a cake from Becks Crown Bakery were provided for the families’ enjoyment.
“With everything about New Year’s Eve geared more towards adults, we wanted to give kids something. It’s just somewhere kids can come out and have fun with their families on New Year’s Eve,” Crown Point Mayor’s Office Coordinator Diana Bosse stated.
As soon as the festivities started, the children brimmed with excitement as they took in everything around them. 5 Star DJ played music and set up games. Steve Belliveau prepared for marvelous feats of magic. Beth Kreke set up face painting and balloon animal supplies.
The children rushed towards the entertainment, excited to have something special to do on such a grown-up holiday. “It’s so much fun, coming to watch the magic show and have pizza, pop, and cake with my family and friends. And we get cool party hats!” six year old Owen Lahm stated eating fistfuls of popcorn while waiting for the magic show to begin.
With more than two hundred audience members, magician Steve Belliveau’s magic show got underway. Pulling many tricks out of his hat, the children watched in amazement as he made a dove appear out of thin air, performed coin and dice tricks, created rubber balls out of white paste, and made a boy float on air in a homemade hovercraft. Every child itched to be Belliveau next assistant.
Even though Belliveau’s magic show had to come to an end, there was never a shortage on things for the children to do. On one end of the Parish hall, 5 Star DJ had the children and their parents hopping and dancing around as they set up games and little competitions for the kids.
{laporte}TEXT{/laporte}At the other side of the hall, a line wound its way around the tables as children waited to get balloon animals or have their face painted with fantastical designs. For the children who didn’t want to dance, Cricket the Clown and her assistants provided a more serene form of entertainment, where the children could sit and relax while being painted or watching a balloon become an animal.
As the afternoon wore on and stomachs grumbled, the young eyes popped with excitement as they took in their pizza dinner from Carriage Court and sugary treats provided by Becks Crown Bakery.
What child doesn’t enjoy tasty treats such as these? A delicious ending to a fun-filled, family afternoon.