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(Naperville, IL)... Families are invited to experience DuPage Children's Museum (DCM) ooey-er, gooey-er, and sloppy-er than ever before during Mess Fest on Saturday, June 24, from 9:00am–2:00pm. This event is included with Museum admission or membership.

Mess Fest offers opportunities for all levels of messy fun. From sensory experiments that begin with just dipping in a finger to full-on, foam-covered exploration, each guest can choose the level of mess that makes them happiest. Most activities will take place outdoors in the Museum's parking lot. Paint BIG using a pendulum bigger than the painter, concoct delicious dirt dishes in a messy mud kitchen, build slippery structures in shaving cream block building, make your own slime, bang on paint-filled drums and Boomwhackers® to make a musical mess, and more. Visit the Kid Wash Station to spray and scrub away the mess before entering the Museum to play. (A change of clothes, including shoes, is a good idea too!)

Family-favorite chalk art will also be a part of Mess Fest. Children and families will be able to create amazing chalk art with local artists Amaryllis Guerrero of Aurora and Giovanni Arellano of West Chicago. These DCM Artist-In-Residence alumni spread the joy of collaborative art making throughout the Naperville community in 2021. Amaryllis shared, "Chalk art with DCM has helped me broaden my talents as an artist while I support the discovery of others."

Shamra Fallon, DCM's Public Programs Manager asks, "At the end of a tough week, have you ever needed to dig in your garden, take a bubble bath, or knead some bread dough to relax? That kind of sensory stimulation can relieve stress and calm you down. Did you know that kind of messy play (yes, that work is actually play!) is beneficial for children, too? Messy play supports creativity, learning and social connections in visitors of all ages, it also supports the DCM mission to nurture joyful discoveries by providing diverse opportunities for open ended exploration of novel materials and engaging in child-led play experiences. All visitors will benefit from getting dirty at DCM on June 24 and don't worry, you can leave the clean-up to us!"

Admission to DuPage Children's Museum is $17 for adults and children age 1 and older, and $16 for seniors age 59+; free for members and children under the age of one year. Visit dupagechildrens.org/mess-fest to get tickets. Please note: This event takes place in DCM's parking lot. In the event of inclement weather, activities will be limited and may or may not take place indoors. Access to the museum is included with tickets.

Thank you to our event sponsors Chris Loo, NuMark Credit Union, and Marcus & Barbara Starbuck. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Art Council Agency.