It all began March 10, 1979.  A theater festival especially for children, soon to be known as Super Saturday, made Tryon abound with laughter, music, song, dance, comic performances, puppets, storytelling, juggling, magic, and a parade down Melrose.

Now in 2015, the 37th annual Super Saturday is coming March 21. Ballet Spartanburg’s “Peter and the Wolf” will be playing at the Tryon Fine Arts Center. Al Simmons has raided his attic for all sorts of junk that he somehow turns into musical instruments worthy of a symphony orchestra.

At the Episcopal Parish House, the wonderful Crabgrass Puppets with “African Adventure Tales,” and the delightful Porkchop Productions actors will be presenting their Little Red Riding Hood.

The Tryon Movie Theater is featuring David Engel’s Pirate School for the adventurous kids. The wild Fettucini Brothers are entertaining with their juggling and variety act.

Find Farmer Jason performing down home music with kids singing along at the Congregational Church. Marc Spiegel will hold kids spellbound with his Einstein Alive.

Didgeridoo Down Under will bring amazing and exciting Australian musical instruments to life at the First Baptist Church.

Several activities will be busy along Melrose Avenue including a roving juggler on a unicycle, a caricature artist, a master paper cutter, FENCE’s Peoplechase, sidewalk chalk art, drummers, a dress-up photo booth, and face painting.

Find hot dogs, pizza, BBQ, and chicken in the Food Court, served by local non-profit charities that work with children.

There will be free entertainment on the Community Stage amphitheater, below the Food Court. Shows begin at 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., each running about 50 minutes, with a parade at 12:30 p.m. after the break for everyone’s lunch.

This year’s theme is Growing Into Your Dream. Children are welcome to come in costume dressed as who or what they’d love to be now, or in the future, and are urged to march in the parade right along with the performers!  Line-up for the parade will be at 12:15 p.m. in front of the Congregational Church on Melrose.

This year Super Saturday’s overall sponsor is the Ann L.Turner/Geoffrey M. Tennant Foundation, with additional support from the Mary F. Kessler Fund at the Polk County Community Foundation.  Tickets will go on sale in early March in schools and to the community.  For more information, visit tryonsupersaturday.com.

-Submitted by Connie Clark