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PEEPS FEST™ FEATURES 4 DAYS OF FAMILY FUN DEC. 28-31 AT STEELSTACKS

Festival celebrates 3rd year with free admission, new events, fireworks display & more

DATE: Dec 1, 2011
CONTACT: Mark Demko, ArtsQuest, 610-332-1300, ext. 342, or mdemko@artsquest.org

PEEPS Fest™, the fun-filled family festival presented by Just Born, Inc. and ArtsQuest, is back and better than ever in 2011, with a new location, additional day of programming and more family fun than ever before. The festival will run from Dec. 28-31 at the new ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, Pa. For the first time in PEEPS Fest's™ three-year history, admission to the event will be free, although select events will require an admission ticket.

A dynamic, interactive family event highlighting the beloved marshmallow confection, PEEPS Fest™ features four days of live music, art and PEEPS®-related programming that culminate Dec. 31 at 5:15 p.m. with the dropping of the 85 lb., 4.5-foot-high lighted PEEPS® Chick and fireworks to welcome in the New Year.

Mark Hoffman, PEEPS® Brand Manager at Just Born, commented, "We are looking forward to PEEPS Fest™ 2011 as we have increased the excitement level again! PEEPS Fest™ Festival's new location at the ArtsQuest Center, its extended programming and free admission to many of the events are sure to be popular! We also invite everyone to join us at the festival's end for the free fireworks display and PEEPS® Chick drop to celebrate the arrival of the New Year!

One of the highlights of this year's PEEPS Fest™ is that families will be able to enjoy a wide variety of free programming based on the popular Peas & Qs family series that takes place at the ArtsQuest Center every Saturday morning. Among the artists scheduled to perform are folk singer Dave Fry, singer-songwriter Robbi K, rocker Yosi, magicians Joe Keppel and Tom Yurasits, and Balloons the Clown. In addition, kids will be able to combine music with exercise during Kids Zumba, laugh and learn with 2 + 1 Math Rocks and discover the wide world of animals during a special presentation by the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Other free activities during the festival include daily Xbox 360 video game competitions (highest score each day wins a prize), a scavenger hunt in which kids can search for hidden PEEPS® and be entered to win a daily prize, a PEEPS® Diorama Competition showcasing dozens of PEEPS® dioramas created by area school children, and photo opportunities with the PEEPS® Chick, PEEPSTER car and 20-foot-tall PEEPS® Tree. In addition, more than 10 area nonprofits, including the Allentown Art Museum, Alzheimer's Association Delaware Valley Chapter, Bethlehem Area Public Library, Bethlehem Special Olympics, Cancer Support Community, Center for Humanistic Changes, Cetronia Ambulance Corps, Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and Via of the Lehigh Valley will be on hand, offering fun and educational activities that will delight kids of all ages. Activities include make your own friendship bracelets, face painting, storytelling, arts & crafts and more.

In addition to the free activities, families will be able to enjoy delicious dishes and desserts featuring PEEPS® and Just Born treats at the ArtsQuest Center's MIKE AND IKE® Bistro, as well as attend a fun-filled party (admission ticket required) each and every day of the festival. On Dec. 28-29, 2-4 p.m., the ArtsQuest Center's Musikfest Café will be transformed into a Family Disco Lounge featuring a kids' DJ, dancing, bounce tent, live entertainment, kids' juice bar and more. Tickets are $5 for ages 18 and under and free for adults.

The following day, Dec. 30 from 10:30 a.m.-noon, kids and their parents and grandparents are invited to enjoy a sweet morning with the PEEPS® Chick during the PEEPS® & Friends Character Breakfast in the Musikfest Café. Tickets for the event, which includes a delicious hot breakfast, live entertainment, photo opportunities and more, are $24.95 for ages 11 and older, $10.95 for ages 2-10 and $6.95 for ages under 2.

On New Year's Eve, families are invited to party the afternoon away at the first PEEPS Fest™ Family New Year's Eve Party. The event, which takes place from 1-3 p.m. in the Musikfest Café, features music by a kids' DJ, New Year's-themed arts & crafts, bounce tent, face painting and more. Tickets are $5 for ages 18 and under and free for adults.

PEEPS Fest™ hours are noon-5 p.m. Dec. 28-31; the fireworks display and PEEPS® chick drop Dec. 31 will take place at 5:15 p.m. For more information and tickets to the character breakfast, family disco lounge and New Year's Eve Party, please visit www.artsquest.org/peepsfest or call 610-332-3378.

For the full list of events, please visit: http://www.artsquest.org/peepsfest

ABOUT ARTSQUEST

ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks™ arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest's programming reaches more than 1.5 million people annually.

For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300.