Construction-Themed Carnival Coming To Ardmore

ARDMORE, PA – The "Big Dig" is coming to Ardmore this weekend and you and your family are invited to attend the free construction-themed carnival on Cricket Avenue.

The event is being presented by the Ardmore Initiative and several Cricket Avenue businesses. It will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 24 along Cricket Avenue and on the building site of One Ardmore Place.

Attendees will be able to tour a live construction site, touch large-scale construction equipment such as excavators and dump trucks, and participate in various hands-on stations.

The first stop for arriving guests is pucciManuli at 35 Cricket Ave. where the first 300 children will receive a complimentary hard hat, construction swag bag, and "blueprints" for the day as well as register for the Big Dig giveaway. Then tours of the construction site and a series of activity stations will be underway.

Free giveaways will include DIY decorative stickers, construction site access lanyard, construction tote bag, coloring sheet and crayons, and construction tattoos.

The event is free but registration is requested. You can register online here.

All families entering the site will be required to wear closed-toe shoes and sign release forms. All minors will be required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian while on the construction site. Closed toed shoes are required, no sandals. In the event of rain, the Big Dig will be held on Sunday, June 25.

"Big trucks, digging holes and hands-on building stations is what the Big Dig is all about," said Carrie Kohs, owner of pucciManuli. "Lots of exciting things are happening in Ardmore and events like the Big Dig give us the opportunity to showcase Ardmore to the region."

The full line-up of free construction themed activities includes the following:

• Touch-A-Truck – Guests will have the opportunity to see and touch some of their favorite big trucks and heavy machinery up close, as well as meet some of the operators of this equipment. Vehicles on display to include two excavators, a skid steer and a dump truck.
• Diggin’ Dirt Sensory Station – Little ones will have an opportunity to dig their own holes using dirt from the construction site and operate small construction vehicles.
• Build-A-Building – Children of all ages will have the opportunity to test their construction skills using various construction methods and techniques. Building materials will be supplied, including toothpicks/marshmallows, red cardboard bricks, various sized cardboard boxes and more.
• Dump Truck Cookie Decorating – Kids will have the opportunity to decorate their own dump truck cookie, provided by Viking Pastries (located at 39 Cricket Avenue, across from One Ardmore Place)
• Imagination Playground Building Blocks – Lulu’s Casita will bring over their big, blue imagination building blocks kids can use to build and stack with.
• Build-Your-Own-Snack – Kids will be given a small construction lunchbox to fill with various snacks including mini donuts (to resemble wheels), pretzel rods, pirate’s booty and more!

All families that attend Ardmore’s Big Dig will be entered in a special drawing to win special construction-themed prizes for the whole family. Prizes include:

• Family four-pack of tickets to Diggerland
• $100 gift certificate to Lulu’s Casita
• $100 in pucciManula to pucciManuli
• Construction gear from Harkins Builders

The morning is also a learning opportunity for adults who will be able to view the site from inside the fence where they may ask questions and learn more about the mixed-use project that will include luxury apartments, street-level retail space and a three-deck public parking garage.

“Ardmore is hip, fun, family-friendly place to visit and live. There are many exciting things happening that are changing our small town for the better,” said Christine Vilardo, Executive Director of the Ardmore Initiative. An event like the Big Dig brings the community out to share in and celebrate the progress that we are making.”

Ardmore’s Big Dig is organized and presented by Ardmore Initiative, pucciManuli and Lulu’s Casita and is sponsored by One Ardmore Place, Harkins Builders and Viking Pastries.

Contributed photo