KidsFest Brings Big Crowds to Jefferson City

Jefferson City KidsFest — a long-running kickoff-to-summer event featuring games, demonstrations, activities and a tennis component — successfully took place Saturday, June 3 at Ellis-Porter Riverside Park. About 4,000 people attended the fun-filled day geared toward families and children, with nearly 60 kids trying their hand at the sport of tennis for the first time.

Alywn Mushonga, USTA Missouri and USTA St. Louis tennis service representative, attended KidsFest on behalf of USTA. He set up a portable net on the park’s outdoor basketball court to help demonstrate tennis can be played anywhere. Of the 60 kids — not to mention several adults — who visited USTA’s tent and pop-up court, all but a few hadn’t ever tried tennis before.

“Of the kids I had, only about three or four had ever played tennis,” Mushonga said. “Everything was new — how to hold the racquets. They were shook about the red and orange tennis balls, saying, ‘These are soft.’ Those are what we use for schools and for kids. Everyone was excited to experience a first-time tennis clinic, a first-time lesson.”

Mushonga showed participants how to hit a forehand and had targets set up for players to test their aim. While Mushonga was planning on staying from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., he didn’t end up leaving until 2:30 due to participating players having such an enjoyable time. While USTA has had representation at previous renditions of the annual KidsFest event, it was Mushonga’s first time attending.

“It was really a wonderful experience. I did not expect it to be what it was. I expected it to be something small. I thought Jefferson City was a small town. It was big,” Mushonga said with a laugh. “It was a hot day in the 90s. But kids of all ages — starting from like 2 years old — and some adults came to play, which was amazing.”

In addition to tennis, Mushonga noted the KidsFest event featured activities such as swimming and kayaking. One of the most popular attractions this year was EMS helicopters. KidsFest — a free summer staple in Jefferson City that has been humming along annually for better than three decades — also featured grub from several food vendors. KidsFest was selected as USTA Missouri’s Event of the Year in 2021.

Mushonga is hoping to make inroads to provide more tennis opportunities for adults and children in the Jefferson City pocket. He said the Jefferson City Area YMCA offers tennis sessions and lessons, but there is certainly the opportunity for more offerings. He is hoping KidsFest can serve as a springboard to that happening.