Mr. Rogers Family Days returns to downtown Latrobe

LATROBE, Pa. — The Mr. Rogers Family Days will be returning to downtown Latrobe, with new and familiar fun-filled activities and entertainment.

The pandemic forced organizers to get creative and spread the event out from one day to a whole week.

Running from Monday, June 7 to Saturday, June 12, the 5th annual Mister Roger’s Family Days will include merchants, exhibits and family fun events.

“This year of course was unique because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we were thinking to ourselves at the time, how can we still hold this event in person, but be safe?” Michael Tusay, executive director of the Latrobe Art Center, said. ““We’ve received a lot of great feedback from visitors about really liking that it’s spread out through the week so they can come back with their kids and it not be so crowded and packed.”

Weeklong activities including a Daniel Tiger Storybook Walk and Mister Rogers Quotation Quest with participating Latrobe merchants and organizations, and a Selfie Garden located in downtown’s James H. Rogers Park with the statue of Mister Rogers. In the parklet will be Fred Rogers exhibits at Latrobe Art Center and the Latrobe Area Historical Society, and an assortment of sidewalk fun will be found throughout the downtown area.

““I’m really excited to hear people are going throughout downtown Latrobe and supporting our small businesses and hopefully then coming back to the community,” Tusay said. “Just to be apart of the continuation of preserving Fred’s legacy and living into that and getting the community to live into the ideals he taught through his television show, it’s just great.”

In addition, unique, single-day activities include a farmers market and outdoor story times at Legion Keener Park on Tuesday, June 8, children’s cookie decorating at Latrobe Art Center and downtown Latrobe’s monthly Shop-Hop on Wednesday, June 9, and an outdoor movie night at Legion Keener Park on Friday, June 11. The event ends on Saturday, June 12 with an assortment of family fun including a downtown Latrobe scavenger hunt, crafts with Latrobe Art Center, a visit from the Neighborhood Trolley, and more.

“After taking a year off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the planning committee is thrilled to be hosting Mister Rogers Family Days,” says Latrobe Art Center’s Executive Director Michael Tusay. “Although the event has a new format and schedule compared to years past, we are really looking forward to bringing the same joy and fun to families and visitors throughout Latrobe while celebrating the life and legacy of our favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers.”

Preregistration is required this year for the event’s story time activity on Tuesday as well as for Friday’s outdoor movie night. Participants can preregister for both activities and view the full schedule of events online at misterrogersfamilyday.org or by calling the Latrobe Art Center at 724-537-7011 during regular operating hours. Event resources including printable activity worksheets and city maps can also be found by visiting misterrogersfamilyday.org or Mister Rogers Family Day’s Facebook page.

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