The 41st Annual Peach Blossom Festival of Oral Interpretation for Central Valley elementary school students will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, March 24 and 25, at California State University, Fresno.
The festival encourages knowledge and an appreciation of good literature in young people through oral interpretation, said LaDonna Hayes, festival coordinator and faculty member in the Department of Communication which hosts the event.
“With the State of California’s emphasis on language arts, this provides an excellent opportunity for area teachers to incorporate oral interpretation into their curriculum,” Hayes said. “The festival also provides the children an opportunity to visit a college campus and interact with university faculty and students while allowing the university to meet future students.”
Elementary schools from the Central Valley are invited to participate in the event which has included schools from as far as Delano, Avenal, and Livingston. Hayes said nearly 6,500 children from more than 225 elementary schools participated in the festival last year. To participate, students must register through the elementary schools, said Hayes.
The festivities are open to the public with sessions scheduled at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. On Thursday, March 25, sessions will be held at 9:45 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
Sessions are held in various locations on campus with headquarters in the lobby of the John Wright Theatre. For additional information, call (559) 278-4419.
