Teatime is a sophisticated and refined event for classy kinds of people. However, in Aurora, teatime has turned into a circus, and they act like real animals during the annual Teddy Bear Picnic at the Aurora Free Library.
Some qualify with suitable attire of frilly white dresses, or top hats, bow ties and monocles, others sport a more casual look with assorted colored T-shirts, bandannas or display support for their favorite sports teams.
But all of these furry folks have one thing in common, they're somebody's best friend. The teddy bears that attend the picnic do so with their favorite child in tow. Some show years of dedication with missing eyes, tattered threads and homemade bandages of mismatched swatches.
“Some bears have obviously been in the family for a while, and others are brand new,” Sandy Groth, director at the Aurora Free Library said. “They're all unique. Some bears are dressed in fancy dresses, others, like many of the ones done at the Build-A-Bear Workshop, wear hats, jackets and things that the children have chosen.”
The Teddy Bear Picnic has been held at the Aurora Free Library for the past 20 years, “and it's a wonderful experience every year,” Groth said. The children bring their favorite teddies to the String Theater of the Morgan Opera House, where the bears get a front row seat in the windows of the theater as the children and their parents assemble outside for a blanket-picnic lunch before the entertainment portion of the event.
This year Dawn Jordan, a puppeteer from Weedsport, will display her talent and passion with a show that literally has her co-performer hanging by a thread. Jordan will perform “The Dragon of Umshire.”
The event, by its very nature, entices and expands the imagination, drawing and feeding on the participation and smiles of the audience. Every bear in attendance is awarded a prize, stemming from the cuddliest to best-dressed, the biggest to the smallest and the cutest to the fuzziest or the brownest. No bear is left out.
“We get a lot of repeat families,” Groth said. “They really seem to enjoy the picnic and special recognition from the prizes their bears have earned, as judged by the volunteer of the library. We even had a live gerbil one year, but we don't encourage people to bring real animals,” Groth explained.
She mentioned that the program originally started as a way to end the library's summer reading program, “but that seemed just too hard to keep up with since often it ended during the week. Now we just do it for fun.”
The library has invited many local performers including several musicians, the Bubble Man, who is always a favorite, she explained and the entire event is “just good family-oriented fun. It's good for all ages and good to have something to do during a summer weekend.”
Groth explained that the most rewarding part of the Teddy Bear Picnic was just to see the children smile.
“That type of feeling you get, is just the best part every year.”
If you go
What: Teddy Bear Picnic with
puppeteer Dawn
Jordan
When: Noon
Saturday
Where: Morgan Opera House, in Aurora, Route 90
Cost: Free
For details: Call
Sandra Groth at
364-8074
But all of these furry folks have one thing in common, they're somebody's best friend. The teddy bears that attend the picnic do so with their favorite child in tow. Some show years of dedication with missing eyes, tattered threads and homemade bandages of mismatched swatches.
“Some bears have obviously been in the family for a while, and others are brand new,” Sandy Groth, director at the Aurora Free Library said. “They're all unique. Some bears are dressed in fancy dresses, others, like many of the ones done at the Build-A-Bear Workshop, wear hats, jackets and things that the children have chosen.”
The Teddy Bear Picnic has been held at the Aurora Free Library for the past 20 years, “and it's a wonderful experience every year,” Groth said. The children bring their favorite teddies to the String Theater of the Morgan Opera House, where the bears get a front row seat in the windows of the theater as the children and their parents assemble outside for a blanket-picnic lunch before the entertainment portion of the event.
This year Dawn Jordan, a puppeteer from Weedsport, will display her talent and passion with a show that literally has her co-performer hanging by a thread. Jordan will perform “The Dragon of Umshire.”
The event, by its very nature, entices and expands the imagination, drawing and feeding on the participation and smiles of the audience. Every bear in attendance is awarded a prize, stemming from the cuddliest to best-dressed, the biggest to the smallest and the cutest to the fuzziest or the brownest. No bear is left out.
“We get a lot of repeat families,” Groth said. “They really seem to enjoy the picnic and special recognition from the prizes their bears have earned, as judged by the volunteer of the library. We even had a live gerbil one year, but we don't encourage people to bring real animals,” Groth explained.
She mentioned that the program originally started as a way to end the library's summer reading program, “but that seemed just too hard to keep up with since often it ended during the week. Now we just do it for fun.”
The library has invited many local performers including several musicians, the Bubble Man, who is always a favorite, she explained and the entire event is “just good family-oriented fun. It's good for all ages and good to have something to do during a summer weekend.”
Groth explained that the most rewarding part of the Teddy Bear Picnic was just to see the children smile.
“That type of feeling you get, is just the best part every year.”
If you go
What: Teddy Bear Picnic with
puppeteer Dawn
Jordan
When: Noon
Saturday
Where: Morgan Opera House, in Aurora, Route 90
Cost: Free
For details: Call
Sandra Groth at
364-8074
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