Celebrate Halloween weekend with fitness, art, dance, music and fun for all at the Festival of Abilities, 3-7 p.m. Saturday, October 29, 2016, at Oak Forest Park, 2100 Judiway Street.

The festival will benefit plans to build an accessible, inclusive playground for all abilities at Oak Forest Park. 

Festival goers of all ages and abilities can enjoy a bevy of fun activities, including:

  • Stroll & Roll costume parade;
  • Arts Alive! “Halloween Happening” expressive arts program;
  • petting zoo;
  • fitness for all;
  • arts and crafts;
  • pick-your-own pumpkin patch;
  • Disney-trained caricature artist Tom Rye;
  • games, music, trick or treating;
  • craft beer garden and wine tasting (21+ with valid ID), festival food and refreshments

Fly Dance Company -- "the Gentlemen of Hip-Hop" -- will perform at 5:30 p.m. The River Performance Troupe will open the live show.

Enjoy scrimmages with the TIRR Memorial Hermann Hotwheels -- defending national champion wheelchair basketball team, 2015 junior champs -- and TIRR Texans wheelchair rugby.

Cheer on the Fireballs power soccer team, plus participants in a Monster Dash adaptive obstacle course, hosted by HPARD Adaptive Sports & Recreation.

Bayou City Play will feature its “loose parts” adventure play area.

The community can become part of the legacy at Oak Forest Park with the Mad Potter painted art tile project fundraiser, where a $100 donation will get a "buy one, get one" tile through October 29 (future paint days TBA including pre-purchased tiles).

Guests of Honor will included Houston Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen, Council Member District C, and Michelle Colvard, the park project’s ADA advisor; a former Ms. Wheelchair America and Texas; as well as the former Executive Director for the Mayor’s Office of People with Disabilities, Ms. Colvard was a driving force in building the Vale-Asche Foundation Playground Without Limits at Memorial Park and has been a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities.

All net proceeds will benefit the Oak Forest Park Revitalization - More Than1Way 2Play campaign. A $10/person donation is suggested (ages 2+) with cash, checks payable to Houston Parks Board (note "Oak Forest Park"), credit cards, or online donations at http://houstonparksboard.org/projects/oak_forest_park/ (select donation: "other amount"). All donations to Houston Parks Board are tax-deductible.

You can "Like" the Oak Forest project at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofOakForestPark/

Interested in volunteering? Sign up with the Leather Apron Foundation, which is coordinating festival volunteers in two-hour shifts, at http://bit.ly/OFPark2016

For more information on the Festival of Abilities, contact Elyssa Horvath, event coordinator FriendsofOakForestPark@yahoo.com, or call/text 832-771-8030.

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