Visitors were spoiled for choice at the Kids Expo

By CAMERON ADAMS

cadams@newspost.com

The Raders had a hard time picking their favorite part of Sunday’s Kids Expo at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.

Savannah Rader, 8, said she enjoyed watching the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office display of the K9 unit as well as the inflatable slide.

Carson Rader, 6, had a more direct answer: “the candy.”

Mary Sarah Rader, their mom, said the kids — including Landon, 3 — also enjoyed the more active stations, including the soccer shots and running the bases on the field.

“They had a blast here,” Rader said.

This was the third year for the free expo, and second time it has been held at the home of the Frederick Keys.

Slater Fuchs, general manger of the Keys, said that the team was happy to open its doors to families looking to enjoy the variety of activities.

“It’s all about the community,” Fuchs said. “We love having kids here. We love having people come out and really get to know this ballpark.”

Children attending the Kids Expo received a free general admission ticket to a future 2025 Frederick Keys game.

Fuchs said the goal was less about the specifics of either the expo or ballgames, but more about how those make a young person feel.

“People forget what happened during the game, but it’s about the memories that they make,” he said. “There’s nothing better than watching kids smile and come in here and have a good time.”

The Frederick News-Post sponsored the Kids Expo.

Samantha Bangh, marketing and events manager for the News-Post, said the event drew more than 2,000 visitors and was “bigger than last year.”

There was a line out the door and around the block for the first hour and a half of the event, she added.

She said there were at least 25 vendors, including the sheriff’s office, food trucks, interactive stations and inflatable bounce houses.

“We’re just looking for next year to make it bigger and better,” Bangh said.

Given the wide range of activities, kids could be forgiven for having a tough time picking a favorite. Like the Raders, Naomi Feludu, 3, and Josephine Feludu, 5, sisters from Germantown, also faced a similarly difficult time picking one thing.

Josephine initially said she liked “everything.”

Naomi said she enjoyed running the bases.

Josephine agreed. “That was the highlight,” said their mom, Muleba Feludu.

She added that this was the first summer activity in Frederick the family has gone on this year.

The girls were also excited for the face paint station, planning to get a butterfly and a uni-kitty — a mix of a kitten and a unicorn.

The Tolliver family from near Ballenger Creek also felt this conflict.

Danielle Tolliver said her children Thea, 4, and Wyatt, 6, enjoyed collecting various knickknacks from vendors.

“They love spinning the wheel and getting the prizes,” Danielle said. But she said seeing Keyote, the Keys mascot, as well as running the bases was the highlight.

Danielle said the family usually makes it out to a couple of games per season and were excited to go again this summer.

That made it extra special for the kids to run the bases on a warm afternoon.

“They love high-fiving Keyote at the end,” Danielle said.

Children run the bases to greet Keyote, the mascot for the Frederick Keys, during the Kids Expo on Sunday at Harry Grove Stadium.

Staff photos by Katina Zentz

LEFT: Leah Combs, 6, runs through a water misting area. RIGHT: Terry Faith of Tigers & Unicorns, Oh My! Face and Body Art, left, paints Josephine Feludu, 5.

Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Deputy First Class Douglas Story and K9 Jax participate in a demonstration.