Kids Zone & the Famous Oatmeal Dig: New to Town? This Is Your Easiest Festival Yet
New to the Bertram area? Consider this your official welcome. The Oatmeal Festival is where you’ll meet your neighbors, discover the small businesses tucked around downtown, and find out just how much this community has to offer — all in one easy, low-key afternoon. And if you’re bringing little ones, there’s no better place to start than the Kids Zone at Johnnie Mae Wheeler Park.
Johnnie Mae Wheeler Park stays busy all morning — it’s where the Pet Parade checks in and where folks line up for the Grande Parade before it heads downtown. Once the parade wraps up around 11:30–noon, the park transforms: yard games come out, sidewalk chalk hits the pavement, and the Kids Zone officially opens for the afternoon — a completely free, no-pressure first taste of the festival that’s perfect for young families still finding their footing in a new town.
Kids Zone at Johnnie Mae Wheeler Park
🎨 Play, Chalk & Games
Our sponsors helped bring in the yard games, the oatmeal for the Dig, the face painter, and the Kiddie Train — covering every activity in the Kids Zone so it stays free for your family. It’s the perfect place to let the kids burn off some energy while grown-ups catch their breath — a built-in family break time in the middle of a big festival day.
🥣 The Famous Oatmeal Dig
A kiddie pool filled with oatmeal, hiding little toy surprises just waiting to be found. Kids dig in with both hands and don’t stop grinning until every treasure turns up — it’s the one thing every Oatmeal Festival kid remembers.
A Whole Downtown Waiting to Meet You
The Kids Zone is just the beginning. While the little ones dig, chalk, and toss their way through the afternoon, take a lap through the rest of what makes the 49th Annual Oatmeal Festival worth the trip. Browse 120+ vendor booths — many of them local artisans crafting one-of-a-kind pieces that make truly memorable gifts. Grab something fresh from the food court and sip on a cold drink while you listen to live music drifting across downtown. Say hello to the small businesses that make Bertram what it is. Watch the Grande Parade roll by, admire the Car Show, or just wander and soak it all in.
And when you need a breather, the Kiddie Train will be circling the festival grounds with free rides, and a face painter will be set up in the Kids Zone from noon to 4:00 PM — so the fun never really stops. See the full activities lineup for everything happening throughout the day.
🤝 Want to Be Part of Making It Happen?
Starting around 11:30–noon, once the Grande Parade wraps up, youth volunteers step in to oversee the Kids Zone — keeping the yard games running smoothly, the park tidy, and an eye out for safety. (Note: this isn’t check-in or babysitting — parents and guardians need to stay with their kids throughout.) Students in grades 9–12 can earn scholarship hours while they help out.
Questions about the Kids Zone or the Oatmeal Dig? Reach us anytime at info@oatmealfestival.org.
Coming Next Week
→Live Art & the Scholarship Raffle — supporting local youth.
