HANDS ON THE ARTS RETURNS TO SUNNYVALE

Award-winning children’s musician Tim Cain headlines May 19 festival

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Children will have an opportunity to sing-along with award-winning national recording artist Tim Cain and work with dozens of local professional artists at Sunnyvale’s 22nd annual Hands on the Arts festival, Saturday, May 19. The festival will open at 10 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. at the Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Drive.

Cain, one of the co-founders of the 1960s rock group The Sons of Champlin, began performing children’s music in the 1990s and now presents about 300 concerts a year. He has produced five albums for children and received national awards and honors from the Parents' Choice Foundation; National Association of Parenting Publications; and American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Critics have hailed him as “the next Raffi.” Cain’s music is inclusive and fun, with a folk-rock/pop sound, and his warm personality and inspiring story help him make an instant connection with young audiences. Cain, who is paralyzed from the waist down from childhood polio, uses crutches onstage and presents himself as “just a regular person whose legs don’t work.” 

Cain’s 2 p.m. performance is free to festival-goers. Participation in this day-long festival is $5 per child, and includes all supplies for a full day of fun, hands-on workshops giving children in kindergarten through eighth grade an opportunity to explore a variety of art methods and genres. Simpler projects for two- to four-year olds will also be included.

Participating children can purchase a wristband at one of the information booths the day of the festival. Admission for parents and siblings not participating in the festival is free, and includes all-day live entertainment. Adults are not permitted to participate in art activities, except to assist their children. Local vendors will sell refreshments. Parking is free, and the Community Center is served by VTA Line 55.

Widely recognized as the only event of its type in the nation, Hands on the Arts is a favorite event with both kids and artists. The event is expected to draw more than 1,000 children and their families. Hundreds of volunteers, including teens who participated when they were younger, come back each year to make the event a success.

This year, 37 professional artists will lead workshops for the children. With so many workshops from which to choose, children can keep busy all day and leave with armloads of projects. Most workshops allow a child to create an art project to take home in about 15 minutes. Performing-arts workshops teach a song or dance to be presented in impromptu performances throughout the day.

Participating artists were chosen through a competitive jury process. The field includes some favorites who have led popular workshops for fifteen or more years, as well as some new artists. Organizers select a diverse group, with artists representing a variety of genres, methods and cultures.

For more information, visit HandsontheArts.inSunnyvale.com, or call (408) 730-7350, TDD (408) 730-7501.