Have a great time at Comfest with your kids and take my advice – go early! Last year I did not choose the right time of day to go with my two babes, and swore off ever going again. We arrived downtown at 4pm, but given that it was the Saturday of Comfest it took us well over 45 minutes to find a place to park. By the time we got in and found our friends it was half passed the witching hour (5pm in kid-world). It was hot, crowded, and hard to get around. I should have gotten a babysitter. My kids were ready to go at 6:30pm, and I had only had one beer.
Luckily, Comfest is every year and I have the chance for a do-over. My kids may have been more tolerant last year if it wasn’t so late and they weren’t already tired, cranky, and hungry, so this year I decided to go on Friday afternoon at noon. I looked at the schedule and during the days the Comfest organizers have provided great kid-based entertainment: music, crafts, acting, dancing, you name it. I’ll grab some food or a treat for the kids; take the children to a few kid-focused things; find the booths of these awesome friends/crafters/artists (you need to check them out too!): AmyD, Barking Cat Pictures, Clint Reno, Little Alouette, and Sweet Stella; and then it will probably be time to go. I’ll be leaving this year at the time I was arriving last year, and hopefully leaving with my sanity.
After last year’s bad time choice, this is what I recommend if you are going to Comfest with your kids:
- Go earlier in the day (and I’ll go on Friday afternoon because that matches my crowd anxiety level).
- Bring snacks – and a promise of a lemon shake-up. yum!
- Bring your stroller or a wagon. Put the baby/kids down in the shade for a while – the heat can be hard on them, especially if you are wearing them.
- Bring a spray bottle with water – can be refreshing if your kids complain about being too hot.
- Bring games, coloring books, etc. if you plan to camp on a blanket for a few hours.
- Bring cash (parking, food, shopping).
- Bring a change of clothes for your kids. It is the type of festival where you hang out for a few hours, and things happen…trust me.
- Plan your day. Look at the schedule so your kids get to see some good kid-focused entertainment, or get that ice cream for them when you plan to shop.
- Don’t forget your blanket, camera, water, or sunscreen.
