COMMENTARY:
The HEB Houston Children's Festival is probably the biggest kid's event around. With an estimated 65,000 people attending, it definitely makes for crowded streets and long lines. The best time to get there is Saturday morning before the large traffic and while the staff are not yet worn out from the long weekend. This year Corbin Bleu of High School Musical signed autographs, but only on Sunday, making Sunday about five times busier than Saturday. Saturday morning is also the best time to avoid overly used portable bathrooms. By the end of the day, the toilets are pretty disgusting, toilet paper is gone and while they are emptied Saturday night, they are not really cleaned for Sunday.
The Festival has a wide range of activities. The best deal is to buy the All Day Fun Pass as soon as you get there so kids can ride all the rides as many times as they want for $25. Parents could easily spend twice that per child if just paying as you go. In addition to paid rides, there are some free activities from origami, crafts, karaoke, shooting hoops and plenty of give-aways. There are also vendors offering products at an additional cost. Our favorites are the Heelies (tennis shoes with wheels in the heels) and the "Build-A-Bear" knock off booth.
Although 95% of the entertainment is very kid appropriate, there were several booths playing rap music not appropriate for children. Event staff should have done more to monitor what music was being played.
Overall the festival is great family fun and worth attending every year.
