FARMINGTON – The 24th annual Children’s Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the University of Maine at Farmington’s Student Center.

The festival is an opportunity for families to break up the winter blues and get out for a day of free activities. There will be a low-cost food court, with pizza, ice cream, popcorn and water or juice.

Activities in the hands-on room will include face painting, sand tables, necklace making and a fishing pond. Cookie decorating will be back for the little ones, and karaoke and Nintendo Wii will be offered. The gross motor room will have mats for tumbling, a puppet theater and Music Together with Sara Dean.

There will be a quiet corner for reading a book with a child and there will be music and entertainment in the North Dining Hall throughout the day, with Bill Reid, Cenedl and Sherry Walrath and the Sign Company, as well as a fencing demonstration by Boston City Lights.