The Flint Hills Family Festival, presented by the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, kicks off summer in downtown Saint Paul June 2-3. The annual festival features star-studded, family friendly headliners like KOO KOO KANGA ROO, The String Queens and Salsa del Soul. Outdoor activities are free, and tickets for indoor performances are on sale now at Ordway.org/Festival.
The phenomenal headliners bring an exciting energy for the entire festival. Salsa del Soul is a Twin Cities-based, nine-piece orchestra performing various styles of dance music from the Spanish-speaking regions of the Caribbean; their music will have all generations dancing together in the street. The String Queens is a dynamic trio that creates stimulating musical experiences that inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel and imagine! Lastly, KOO KOO KANGA ROO is made up of two guys who met in college, started a band and now are touring with their catchy songs,comedy and dance music for crowds large and small.
“The Flint Hills Family Festival is a wonderful way to bring together multi-generational audiences of all backgrounds to dance, sing and enjoy family-friendly activities in a beautiful outdoor setting,” said Ordway President and CEO Chris Harrington.“This festival is a signature Ordway event that embraces our mission of making the performing arts accessible to all.”
One of the largest and longest-standing events of its kind in the country, this year’s festival will attract families of all ages. More than one million people have experienced the festival since its inception in 2001. The festival is made possible thanks to a 23-year partnership between the Ordway and Flint Hills Resources.
“For more than 20 years, this festival has brought families together and helped them celebrate the beginning of summer,” said Holli VanOverbeke, director of public affairs at Flint Hills Resources. “We value our partnership with the Ordway,and I can’t wait to join my friends and colleagues at this year’s Flint Hills Family Festival.”
Free activities and performances
Attendees of the Flint Hills Family Festival will enjoy free entertainment outside of the Ordway, including a wide variety of food trucks, art-making activities hosted by Twin Cities organizations, face painting and balloon artists, and much more.
Free outdoor events will include headliners:
- Family salsa dance lesson and dance party featuring Salsa del Soul on Friday, June 2 at7p.m.
- Performance from KOO KOO KANGA ROO on Saturday, June 3 at 3:15p.m.
Low-cost options inside the Ordway throughout the weekend:
- Performance from The String Queens on Friday, June 2 at 7 p.m.(tickets start at $15)
- Performances from Lightwire Theater’s The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen on Saturday, June 3 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.(tickets are $5)
- Performances from The ReMINDers on Saturday, June 3 at 11 a.m. and 1p.m.(tickets are $5)
Tickets for indoor performances are available for purchase at Ordway.org/festival.
About the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Ordway is the arts epicenter of Saint Paul, Minnesota, and one of the leading nonprofit performing arts centers in the country. Founded on the belief that performing arts should be wide-ranging and accessible to all, the Ordway is home to a variety of performances that encompass the finest in Broadway musicals, concerts, dance and vocal artists. The Ordway serves thousands of children each year through its education programs and presents the annual Flint Hills Family Festival. Known as the most comfortable place to catch a show in Minnesota, the Ordway includes a magnificent 1,900-seat Music Theater, a state-of-the-art 1,100-seat Concert Hall and spacious lobbies. The Ordway is a proud member of the Arts Partnership, a collaboration comprising the Ordway, Minnesota Opera, The SaintPaul ChamberOrchestra and Schubert Club. The Ordway aims to reflect the communities it serves and address barriers to ensure everyone can experience the power of the performing arts.
About Flint Hills Resources
The Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery produces transportation fuels used throughout the Midwest, including most of Minnesota’s gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, as well as other products people rely on such as propane and asphalt. Located 17 miles southeast of Minneapolis, Pine Bend has a refining capacity of 375,000 barrels per day and is among the most efficient and safest oil refineries in the country. Flint Hills Resources directly and indirectly supports more than 4,000 Minnesota jobs and has invested nearly $1.7 billion in upgrades and improvements to its Minnesota facilities since 2010. With1,000 full-time employees, the Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery is one of the largest employers inDakota County. More information about the Pine Bend refinery is available at PineBendRefinery.com.
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