The Moose Jaw Shrine Club made the tough call to cancel their annual Children’s Festival that usually takes place at the beginning of June, but the charity club has something else up its sleeve to entertain the kids this year.
Instead of the usual festivities, the Moose Jaw Shrine Club has lined up several local performers to do a series of live shows on the Shriners Facebook page, for children to tune into and watch for free.
The interactive show series will begin on June 6 at 10 a.m. — featuring entertainers offering magic, comedy, hypnotism, and more — and will continue on June 13, June 20, and June 27.
Anyone is welcome to tune in, said the Shrine Club, and the hope is that the interactive show will offer some entertainment to children and families at home during this time.
“It’s all designed purely for the entertainment of the kids because we know they have been locked away, so to speak,” said Shrine Club member Aaron Ruston. “And maybe even mom and dad need a break and would like to watch something new on Facebook with the kids. It’s a great time for them to come together.”
The Children’s Festival is something that the club hosts every year for the benefit of local children, to provide something fun for them to enjoy with no cost barriers. It replaced the Shrine Club’s circus a number of years ago and is an event that’s very important to the club each year.
Although pandemic concerns have made the usual festival impossible this year, the Shrine Club decided that the spirit of the event was something they still wanted to pursue.
The online show is also something that the Shrine Club is considering continuing, even after the pandemic restrictions have lifted because they feel as though it could be appreciated in the new, high-tech world.
“We think that it’s one more way of delivering an idea of what we Shriners do, and how the Shriners are all about the children and making a difference in their world,” said Ruston.
More details about the show will be announced on the Moose Jaw Shrine Club Facebook page.
