New and noteworthy

BY SARAH MEAD

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME

Live baseball makes for the perfect summer activity. Bring the whole family down to Frontier Field, grab a Zweigle’s red hot, and catch a Red Wings game all summer long. Celebrate Independence Day early on July 3 with the biggest fireworks show of the season. Camp out with the whole family right on the field July 15. Check the full schedule for theme nights including Star Wars, dinosaurs, ZOOperstars, and Bark in the Park. Visit milb.com/rochester for details on which nights will have BOGO tickets, giveaways, celebrity guests, and a chance for kids to run the bases. New for kids this year: Red Wings and ROC Autism recently teamed up to build a brand-new sensory suite. The stadium will also feature an autism awareness day. Kids will enjoy seeing Milo the bat dog and lovable mascots Spikes, Mittsy, and Mac. Knot Hole Kids Club membership gets your littlest baseball fans (ages four to twelve) discounted tickets and tons of freebies. Ask about it at the box office!

OCEANS OF POSSIBILITIES

Albert Einstein famously said, “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” Rochester area librarians have been busy planning an oceanthemed summer reading program for kids and teens complete with prizes and celebrations. These fun reading challenges are the perfect way to keep our young readers engaged in learning during the long break from school. Stop by your local library or find them online to sign up for your spot in the summer reading program and register for free events. There are so many to choose from! At the Victor-Farmington library, teens kick off their summer reading with an ice cream social on July 7. They can also join Jumping Genres, the summer book club just for teens. Younger children will celebrate the magic found in books on July 8 during Cap’n Dave’s Magic Treasure Hunt. The forty-five-minute show will be packed with magic, comedy, and puppets.

Learn about bioluminescent ocean creatures with the Mendon Library at Harry Allen Park on July 20 with books, songs, and crafts. Or take a self-guided exploration to learn about the bugs that live in the ocean the whole week of August 8. You can spend July 7 with the Wildlife Rockstar Animal Show & Tell. The Seneca Park Zoo will be bringing some animal friends to the Arnett library July 20. Learn to draw ocean creatures with an illustrator or take part in an African drum concert. Get up close and personal with all kinds of trucks and vehicles on July 11 at the Chili library. Make a list of all the libraries you want to visit this summer and have fun checking them off! Kids will love the ocean-themed crafts, movies, and story times. You will find playtime, cooking lessons, tie dye parties, and outdoor games. There are even reading challenges and prizes for adults, too.

FESTIVALS

For the past couple of years we have missed many of our favorite festivals. Corn Hill Arts Festival is finally returning this summer on Saturday July 9 and Sunday July 10. Stroll down the tree-lined streets of one of Rochester’s oldest residential neighborhoods to shop from hundreds of artists. Four stages of music will have you dancing your way around the nine streets of vendors. The family fun area is located off Adams Street and includes a fairy house tour, mobile aerial park, spin art, bounce houses, and clowns. Park your car and enjoy a free, air-conditioned, coach-style bus ride to and from the festival. Details at cornhillartsfestival.com.

Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival returns this year with an entire weekend of free and ticketed events starting with a tailgate on Friday August 26. Tickets start at $25. Enjoy free family fun before the big concert with an allday block party at the Frontier Field VIP lot Saturday, August 27. You’ll find food, merchandise vendors, and a variety of unique performances. Gates open for ticket holders at 5:00 p.m. for Saturday’s concert. Tickets start at $69. More information at rocsummersoulfest.com.

Roc Jam Live returns with Summer Soul Sunday edition, a free community event at Martin Luther King Memorial Park at Manhattan Square, Sunday, August 28 at 3:00 p.m. Visit RocJamLive.com to find out more.

Frontier Field, home of the Rochester Redwings

Summer Soul Music Festival