WSIU, Cedarhurst to Host Free PBS KIDS Star Party Family Event on Space Exploration

WSIU, Cedarhurst to Host Free PBS KIDS Star Party Family Event on Space Exploration
Event is Sat, April 22, 1-4pm at Cedarhurst, Mt. Vernon IL 
​ Carbondale, Ill. – WSIU Public Broadcasting, the public media arm of Southern Illinois University, and Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, with support from sponsors Southern Illinois Healthcare and the SIU Credit Union, invite area families to PBS KIDS Star Party, a free event focusing on space exploration.                                         
The event will be held, rain or shine, on Saturday, April 22 from 1-4pm at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, 2600 Richview Road in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Free parking will be available atCedarhurst and at United Methodist Children’s Home, 2023 E. Richview Road, which is adjacent to Cedarhurst. 
Kids and families will enjoy photo opportunities with PBS KIDS walkaround characters Nature Cat, Word Girl, and Jet Propulsion from Ready, Jet, Go!; explore the StarLab Planetarium, courtesy of the Murphysboro School District; enjoy solar demonstrations with Bob Baer and the SIU Physics Department; sing along with Bill Harper, local children’s music leader; and enjoy a variety of art, music, and science activities related to the solar system and the August 2017 Solar Eclipse. Special guest Mat Kaplan of The Planetary Society and host of the national public radio series Planetary Radio, along with members of the NASA Edge team, also will be available for part of the day.
 Additional details can be found online at wsiu.org/starparty. Watch for updates on WSIU’s Facebook pages at facebook.com/wsiuliteracy and facebook.com/wsiutv.
 All families will receive a free book after completing an event survey and will receive WSIU giveaways. Guests are invited to bring their own cameras to take photos.
 For more information, contact Beth Spezia at (618) 453-5595, [email protected], orJennifer Sarver at Cedarhurst at (618) 242-1236, [email protected].