Join Us: April 26, 2025
As a way to promote a healthy lifestyle for families, GrowSmart is pleased to be bringing back the Celebrating Children event to Mount Trashmore Park. We invite families to join us for a morning filled with kid-friendly activities and parent information and resources.
Celebrating Children FAQ
Celebrating Children typically attracts 1,000+ people who are interested in participating in the Fun Run/Walk around Mount Trashmore Lake. While at the event you can enjoy live entertainment and amusements and visit resource booths where community organizations will be showcasing their programs and services available to families. Every Fun Run Participant will receive a medal! Our family-friendly event will also highlight Child Abuse Prevention Month & Month of the Military Child.
Celebrating Children, like other GrowSmart events and programming, is geared towards families with children 0-8 years old but older siblings and relatives are also welcome to participate!
Celebrating Children will take place on Saturday, April 26 from 8:30 a.m. until noon at Mount Trashmore Park in Virginia Beach.
This event is 100% free of charge and open to the public thanks to the generous support of our corporate sponsors, Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation and GrowSmart- the City of Virginia Beach's early childhood education initiative.
Although this event is 100% free and open to all families, we ask that you register in advance for the Fun Run/Walk so we can reserve a race packet for you and your family members. You can pick up the packets when you arrive at Mount Trashmore on April 26. Each packet includes a race bib with safety pins, an event map, and some goodies in a drawstring bag.
If you’d like to get involved, GrowSmart is looking for volunteers to help with the event! Email vbgrowsmart@vbgov.com and we will be in touch with you shortly to discuss all the different ways you can make a difference in ensuring we have a successful event!
Parents can expect to find on-site resources and information regarding:
- AAA Tidewater
- Anthem HealthKeepers Plus
- Armed Services YMCA
- APEX
- Beach FC Soccer
- Bean's Way Foundation
- Blissful Babies
- Boys & Girls Club Southeast VA
- Brightside ABA
- CHKD
- Coastal Crush Lacrosse
- Dave & Busters
- EVMS Minus 9 to 5
- Family in Focus
- First Tee SNAG Golf
- First Landing State Park
- Fleet & Family Support Center/Exceptional Family Member Program
- Foodbank of Southeastern VA & the Eastern Shore
- Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast
- Healthy Families/BabyCare
- Kempsville Center for Behavioral Health
- Mathnasium
- Mile High Kids
- Minus 9 to 5
- Molina Healthcare
- The Nasia Foundation
- Navy Federal Credit Union
- Newman Fitness Foundation
- Operation Smile
- Parks & Recreation: OST, Outdoor Programs and Special Events, Therapeutic Recreation Programs and Inclusion Services, Youth Opportunities Office
- Pigtails & Crewcuts
- Sentara
- Share the Air
- She Scored Sports
- SPCA
- Square One
- Tidewater Boy Scouts of America
- United Way of South Hampton Roads
- Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office
- Virginia Beach City Public School Office of Family & Community Engagement
- Virginia Beach City Public Schools Pre-K Program
- Virginia Beach Emergency Communications
- Virginia Beach Fire Department
- Virginia Beach Office of Family and Consumer Affairs
- Virginia Beach Department of Human Services
- Virginia Beach Department of Public Health
- Virginia Beach Infant Program
- Virginia Beach Public Utilities
- Virginia Beach WIC Program
- Virginia Children’s Chorus
- We Rock the Spectrum
- YMCA
2025 Event Schedule
GrowSmart looks forward to welcoming families to its 2025 Celebrating Children event!
- 8:30 a.m. - Race Registration/Packet Pickup Begins
- 9 a.m. - Children's Activities, DJ and Entertainment by the Stage
- 9:15 a.m. - Race Warm Up and Welcome
- 9:20 a.m. - Race Start: All Ages
- 10 a.m. - Children's Activities/Exhibitors
- Noon - Event Ends
The event will come to an end around noon but families are welcome to stay and enjoy the amenities of Mount Trashmore Park, which features numerous picnic shelters, playgrounds, volleyball courts, a skate park, a shared-use path, outdoor fitness stations and a boardwalk.
Please note that public restrooms are available and on-site parking is free!
Children's Activities
In addition to the Fun Run, you can expect to find at the event:
- Kid-friendly games, crafts and activities.
- Bounce houses and inflatable games.
- Petting Zoo by Teeny Tiny Farm.
- DJ & Entertainment.
- Monster Fire Truck.
- Food Bank Mobile Market, which will offer fresh fruit, nutritional information, family-friendly recipes, food assistance information and tours.
- VBCPS Reading Bus.
- Pre-K Partners Zone.
- Virginia Beach Public Library's story walk.
- MWR & USO.
- VDH dental screenings.
- Vision screenings with the Kempsville Lions Club.
- VB Emergency Management Services & MRC Volunteers.
This event is brought to you by:
Thank you to our sponsors:
