Hundreds of children and adults took advantage of the annual Funfest and Safety Day held in the parking area of the Civic Center. The event is sponsored by Kids of the Community, the Children’s Advocacy Center and Families in Crisis as an opportunity for families to enjoy time together and learn about their community. 
Everything is free at the event, with games, activities and numerous food choices available to attendees, all provided by local businesses and groups. 
“We had 25 area businesses, safety and youth organizations provide a variety of festival games, giveaways and personal safety information to families,” said committee member Martha Phillips.
Children and their families could tour medical helicopters, fire trucks, military and law enforcement vehicles, and ask as many questions as they wanted from the representatives. They especially enjoyed the bouncy houses available inside the Civic Center gymnasium.
Dawn Wells took advantage of the nice weather and took her sons, Briley and Devlin. Briley sported a painted face, and both enjoyed the complimentary pizza and drinks. The nice thing about the excursion, the boys had fun and also learned some valuable facts.
“I learned about electricity, and don’t fly a kite near electric lines,” said Briley. Brother Devlin enjoyed the Tennessee State Trooper roll-over car demonstration, and said he learned the importance of always wearing a seatbelt. 
An addition to the festival this year was the McMinnville Jaycee’s Spring Olympics. Almost 40 participants from Generations, Pacesetters and the Warren County School System competed in whiffle ball toss, long jump and a 25-yard dash. Award presentations followed the competition, with everyone participating receiving a medal.
“The Funfest provides an opportunity to families who do not have a lot of disposable income for fun activities, and this day provides that for them to enjoy as a group,” said committee member Sheri Denning. "We were extremely pleased with the overall success and plan to make this an annual event on the last Saturday of each April.”