A local children’s entertainment series is holding a fundraiser in an effort to make its shows free to all this year.
Committee member Nadine Cousineau says that Kids & Company’s goal is to expose local children to the arts.
“So Kids & Company’s goal is to foster an appreciation of arts for kids in the Rainy River District,” She said.
“There’s a lot of sports in Fort Frances, there’s a lot of hockey, gymnastics, and figure skating. We’d just like to be able to show kids not every kid’s into sports, so we like to bring some arts into the community so kids can have those opportunities for those experiences.”
In the past like the adult concert series, Kids & Co. has sold passports to a longer season but last year in its 30th anniversary season they made the shows available to everyone for free.
“We had all our shows free for the 30th anniversary season, and we just really loved being able to do that for the community,” Cousineau said.
“One of our main goals is to make the shows as accessible as possible. So this is part of that. Our season is starting a little bit later this year, not till Dec. 1. So we thought, ‘hey, why don’t we try to have a fundraiser and see if we can continue to keep our shows free for families.’”
To that end, Kids & Co. is hosting a Halloween fundraiser dance next Sunday, Oct. 26 from 3-6 p.m. in the Memorial Sports Centre auditorium.
“It’s a costume party, it’s a dance party,” Cousineau said.
“We’re going to have karaoke. We will have treats, popcorn, pizza, stuff like that. We’re just looking to have a fun afternoon for families to come and help raise a little bit of money for Kids & Co.”
The cost to attend is $10 per person but it will be free for kids three and under. Tickets can be purchased in advance at kidsandco.ca or at the door.
If you stop by the website you can also get a sneak peek at the lineup of shows for the 2025-26 season.
The first show of the year will be on Dec. 1 in the gym at St. Mary School at 6 p.m. the show is called the “The Greatest Robot Ever.”
A summary of the show from the producers KnottedHawk Productions says:
“Glitch the little robot doesn’t feel special like all the other amazing robots living in the Junk Yard. With the help of their best friend, Shift, they go on a quest to find the pieces to make them stand out! Full of fun, adventure and self discovery. Will Glitch find what they were searching for all along? Using projection, dance and storytelling, children interact with the performers throughout the show and take part in an engaging workshop exploring resilience, friendship and wellbeing.”
The second show of the season is a play called “Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch.”
“Mr. Hatch leads a predictable and dreary life; he keeps to himself. One Valentine’s Day, he unexpectedly receives a heart-shaped package with an anonymous note that whispers, “somebody loves you,” and everything changes. This heartwarming puppet play examines the effect that kindness can have on a lonely existence. Join washerwomen Betsy, Edna, and Molly as they bring Mr. Hatch’s story to life and help him search for his secret admirer!”
That show will take place at the Townshend Theatre on Feb. 9, 2026 at 6 p.m.
The season will wrap up with “Chris McKhool-Earth, Sea and Air” on May 4, 2026 in the St. Mary School Gym.
“This award-winning show is fully interactive, featuring songs from Chris’ appearances on Mr. Dressup, YTV and the CBC. Chris gets kids singing, dancing and talking about taking care of the Earth. For over a decade, Chris has taken his audience beyond the 3 R’s of ecology (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to a new level of understanding of our global connection to forests, air, water and animals. Everyone leaves with the feeling that they can really make a difference!”
For more information about the upcoming season or to buy tickets for the Halloween Fundraiser Dance Party visit kidsandco.ca.
