Some highlights include a Fairytale Land adventure with “Dora the Explorer”; a journey through Purewood Forest with “The Backyardigans”; a trip to Wonderland with the “Wonder Pets!”; and a Monkey King Adventure with “Ni-Hao, Kai-lan.”

An official announcement will be made on Sept. 6, and you can find all the updates here. Tickets go on sale Sept. 10, but Internet pre-sale tickets will be available Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. and close Sept. 9 at 10 p.m.

In the meantime, visit www.nicklivetours.com for more information about the show.

For the rest of the fall courses offered by Allied Arts, check out the calendar. Call 966-0930 or visit the website at alliedartsyakima.org for more information.

Special Needs Kids Courses:

• “The Elements of Texture for Kids with Special Needs.” Emphasis on visual and tactile learning. Bring a paint shirt and a picture of something you like. Ages 12-18. Oct. 5: 4-6 p.m.
• “The Elements of Texture for Kids with Special Needs.” Emphasis on visual and tactile learning. Bring a paint shirt and a picture of something you like.Ages 5-12. Oct. 6: 4-6 p.m.
• “The Elements of Line for Teens with Special Needs.” Learn about the line in art using non-traditional materials. Bring a paint shirt and a picture of something you like. Ages 12-18. Oct. 19: 4-6 p.m.
• “The Elements of Line for Kids with Special Needs.” Learn about the line in art using non-traditional materials. Ages 5-12. Oct. 20: 4-6 p.m.
• “Let’s Create a Table Sculpture! Class for Teens with Special Needs.” Learn about the element of color and create a table sculpture. Bring a paint shirt and a picture of something you like. Ages 12-18. Nov 2: 4-6 p.m.
• “Let’s Create a Table Sculpture! Class for Kids with Special Needs.” Learn about the element of color and create a table sculpture. Bring a paint shirt and a picture of something you like. Ages 5-12. Nov. 3: 4-6 p.m.

“Ferdinand the Bull” will grace the stage at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Oct. 25. Meet the young bull Ferdinand, who would much rather relax and smell the flowers instead of being mean and dangerous. Ferdinand and his friend Danilo figure out what it means to be true to themselves and what they believe in. Grades K-5.

Next is “Barrio Grrrl!” at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Feb. 11. Ana, a 9-year-old girl who also has the alter-ego Barrio Grrrl, wrestles how to balance with fighting for justice and keeping a foot in the real world. Grades 4-8.

The final performance is “Berenstain Bears in Family Matters” at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Mar. 17. Join the Bear family as each bear deals with his or her troubles and presents life lessons along the way. Grades pre-K-4.

Tickets are $5 per show. All performances are at The Capitol Theatre, 19 S. Third St, Yakima, and are open to school groups and parents with children. To purchase tickets, contact Christina McCarthy at 853-8000.

First up is Cirque le Masque’s “Carnival,” a colorful performance by acrobats and trapeze artists that pushes the envelope of human athleticism. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6.

The second installment is surely the “one that you want,” the infamous “Grease.” All ages are sure to enjoy this hit musical based on the popular movie. Be prepared to sing and dance along with the cast; those catchy tunes will keep you movin’ the whole night! Performances at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 4-6.

The third offering is “The 39 Steps,” a comical retelling of one of Hitchock’s films, and set in the 1930s. Get ready to be surprised and laugh, since this musical is said to be a hybrid of Hitchcock’s style, spy novel intrigue, and Monty Python with a caffeine boost. Performances at 7:30 p.m. April 26-29, and 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. April 30.

Sure, Yakima has been attracting big names from the music industry, but it will also be a tour destination for the Jelly Belly RV!  Shall we jump for jelly beans?

The Jelly Belly RV will make its first stop at Cookie Cutter, located at 4001 Summitview Ave, Suite 18 in Yakima, on Tuesday, August 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Then, the RV will be at Boehm’s Candy Store from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 4.  Boehm’s Candy Store is located at 5645 Summitview Ave. in Yakima.

Highlights include:

* Jelly bean experts will share insider secrets to the making of Jelly Belly jelly beans

* The newest flavors will be offered, and only the most daring will try skunk spray and pencil shaving beans (don’t worry! Top Banana and coconut flavors will also be offered!)

* Stop by for games and other jelly bean samples!

Tiny Bubbles

Sometimes there’s nothing more enjoyable than playing with bubbles outside.

Mehila Hernandez, 20 months, and her sister Maddison, 10 months, received a bubble machine last Easter from their parents, Jeanine and Jason.

“They went nuts with it!” said Paula Campbell, the kids’ grandmother.

Pinkies out, people! The Yakima Valley Museum, in partnership with the Yakima Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, will host its “High Tea and Ice Cream Social” from 1-3 p.m. Aug. 21.

More than tea will be offered during this free event at the museum. Kids can also take part in an art project in the museum’s Children’s Underground and have a chance to play outside in adjacent Franklin Park with planned games, including a Victorian ribbon game, croquet and three-legged races.

But children also will get a taste of high tea, according to Kathy Sample, the museum’s education program coordinator. The idea behind high tea, Sample said, is to bring a Victorian feel to the experience. “So there will be teacups on saucers set out with tea pots, and we’ll pretend to have a tea party.”

Most likely, said Sample, kids will drink juice instead of hot tea and snack on cookies baked by the consumer science group. Table manners will be discussed during this time, and the hosts will read aloud from selections of the “Kim” series of books, which emphasize being safe, clean and healthy. Good etiquette will be covered, including washing hands, saying “please” and “thank you,” passing food to others, and taking small bites of food.

Erwina Peterson, a former home economics education and nutrition instructor in Yakima, devised the “Kim” books in 1973, and about half a dozen titles were published in both English and Spanish.

The books feature a central, androgynous character named Kim, who can also be seen in three-minute video animations made in the ’70s (thanks to David Lynx, the museum’s curator of information and design, these short animations have been converted into DVD format and can now be viewed at the museum’s website). Sample said Peterson’s goal was to develop easy-to-read books that taught healthy eating habits for children. Yakima’s Bill Donelson supplied all of the illustrations.

Each child is encouraged to pick up a copy of “Kim’s Coloring Book” and have it stamped at the museum to receive dollar-a-scoop ice cream at the Soda Fountain social during this event.

Photo courtesy of the Yakima Greenway

We all know about having popcorn with a movie, but what about a little bit of karate first?

Pro-Action Family Martial Arts is offering just that Aug. 7, as it hosts its “Martial Arts Night & Movie” at Sarg Hubbard Park in partnership with Yakima Parks & Recreation and the Yakima Greenway’s “Kiddin’ Around” program.

The free event begins at 7:30 p.m. with a demonstration and brief class, and at sunset a family-friendly martial arts movie will be shown.

“Our involvement in the Kid Fit programming at the Greenway has been fun and exciting for both our school, the staff at the Greenway, and most importantly, the kids of Yakima,” said Ernie Brennecke, senior instructor – or sensei – at Pro-Action. “Last time we did something like this, the attendance was significant, and I play best with and to large audiences.”

Last year, more than 100 kids participated in the event. The opening demonstration is aimed at giving the public a peek at what karate is all about.

“So we don’t just do something, but we talk about what we’re doing, too,” said Erik Brennecke, Ernie’s son and a sensei with Pro-Action. 

Following the demo, the Brenneckes, along with other instructors and students, will hold a 10-minute class for kids. While last year’s class was aerobic-based, this year’s will focus on self-defense.

“We’re going to keep it basic. We like to teach basic risk escape, and maybe some palm strikes,” said Brennecke, who noted punching with a fist takes conditioning. “This is for the kids to get excited about karate.”

All ages are welcome. For more information, contact the Yakima Greenway at 509-453-8280, or visit yakimagreenway.org.