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Images courtesy of Junior League of Long Beach from Kids in the Kitchen 2016.

The 12th annual Kids in the Kitchen Fair, hosted by the Junior League of Long Beach, will take place on Saturday, March 11 from 10:00AM to 2:00PM at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.

Kids and their families within the Long Beach community are invited to partake in the free and fun day of healthy eating and exercise, which will feature performances and skate safety instruction from Skate Dogs, healthy food samples from Healthy Active Long Beach, prepared by the Long Beach City College Culinary Arts Program, jump rope tutorials from JumpLA, opportunity drawings and giveaways.

“It’s exciting to see so many people come together to organize the event and to attend,” said Virginia Zart, the 2016-2017 president of Junior League of Long Beach, in a statement. “Adults and children of all ages participate with the activities and food tasting, and leave with ways to lead a healthy and active life.”

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All ages are welcome to the event, however, Kids in the Kitchen is geared toward children in elementary and middle school. The league hopes to encourage children to think about healthy eating and fitness early on by introducing them to new foods they can cook at home and ways to stay active outside of school, according to the release.

“The Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyle Fair is the marquee event for the Kids in the Kitchen committee, but we are assisted by all the committees of the League to produce, sponsor, and work this amazing event to meet the needs of over 1,300 local participants,” said this year’s Kids in the Kitchen Chair, Emily Wratschko, in a statement.

While games and prizes are offered during the event, the educational takeaway is the real treat, said Wratschko, with “each kid leaving the fair feeling more confident about making healthier food choices and knowing how to live an active life.”

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The Junior League of Long Beach is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The Junior League of Long Beach reaches out to women of all races, religions, and national origins who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism.

For more information about the Junior League of Long Beach, visit the link here.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Park is located at 1950 Lemon Avenue.

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Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].