Saturday Mornings are for Families at ArtsQuest

Instead of cleaning the house while the kids sit glued to Saturday morning cartoons, why not pack up the gang for some quality time at the ArtsQuest Center! There is only one weekend left to enjoy "Peas & Qs" and the St. Luke's Farmers Market (winter session).

The clarinet mesmerizes the little ones.

Peas & Qs is a free, one hour family program hosted Saturday mornings at 11:30 a.m. On March 16, I braved the wintry mix along with my husband and two girls, and headed to the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, located at 101 Founders Way in Bethlehem.  

Melissa Zirkel -- a senior at Moravian College majoring in Music Education -- was the star of Peas & Qs. She did a wonderful job of keeping a large crowd of 0 - 6 year old kids entertained. She read books, played her clarinet, and had the kids moving and singing along.

The Pennsylvania Youth Theater will host a workshop on March 30. After family hour, everyone is invited to visit the Farmers Market from 12 - 4 p.m. located in the same building.

In its second year, the Farmers Market is a great way to support local farms and have a real farmers market experience. "This is the perfect segue for families ... you go from Peas & Qs to the farmers market," said Lorraine, manager of the market. "It's a community service and the kids love it!" And, this mom agrees.

Vegan and organic produce for sale.

There are crafts for the kids and whole host of natural food options, including: vegetables and free range eggs from Jett's Produce, honey, syrup and jams from Old Mill Gourmet, artisan breads from Apple Ridge Farm, and baked goods and quiches from the Hereford Country Store. We left with a smoked bacon quiche, chocolate mousse and a chimichurri marinade. Mmm mmm mmm!

All in all, we had a wonderful morning together. Our minds, imaginations and bellies were fed. There is free parking, no entrance fee, no crowds, and ArtsQuest is just a healthy place to be for kids and parents.