A Wild Rumpus For Maurice Sendak

MAURICE SENDAK fans are invited to take part in a massive WILD RUMPUS to celebrate the legendary children’s author at the fourth annual LITTLE CITY FESTIVAL (Formerly TOTSTOCK), co-presented by THE LITTLE PAPER, ROOSTER STUDIO and SMALL PRINT TORONTO, on SUNDAY JUNE 17th, between 2-5pm, in Sorauren Park.

Some of Toronto’s leading wordsmiths – CLAUDIA DEY, ANDREW PYPER, KEVIN SYLVESTER and VIKKI VANSICKLE - will read such beloved Sendak tales as Where The Wild Things Are and In The Night Kitchen, at the SMALL PRINT TORONTO STORY TENT.

Throughout the afternoon, Wild Things of all ages can create noisemakers and costumes in DIY CRAFT ALLEY (behind The Small Print Toronto Story Tent.)

Around 4:30pm, Kevin Sylvester will holler Sendak’s iconic phrase – “Let The Wild Rumpus Start!” – and MYSTIC DRUMZ will lead a musical conga line around Souraren Park.

The Wild Rumpus will end with a set on the MAINSTAGE by ANDY KIM & FRIENDS.

The Small Print Toronto Story Tent will also showcase new work by such local KidLit heroes as JO ELLEN BOGART (Capturing Joy), TOM CARSON (New Poems), AUBREY DAVIS (A Hen for Izzy Pippik), HEATHER HARTT-SUSSMAN (Here Comes Hortense), BROTHERS LEUNG (The Pirate Girl’s Treasure: An Origami Adventure), KYO MACLEAR and DAVID WALL (Virginia Wolf) and CYBÉLE YOUNG (A Few Blocks).

Books will be available to purchase at the MABEL’S FABLES tent.

The MainStage will put a spotlight on tween-to-teenage musicians, like BROKEN DOORS, CHARLOTTE & AMELIA, FRED HAMILTON FOUR, LIL’ JZ, UNFINISHED BUSINESS, and THE ZEST. Such stalwarts of Toronto’s Indie Music Scene as DON KERR and ALYSHA HAUGEN will accompany Graduates of GIRLS ROCK CAMP, like GEMMA FOLEY & RHEA YEE, DEANNA PETCOFF and BRIDGHID FRY. Veteran musicians MYSTIC DRUMZ, LITTLE ORTON HOGGETT AND HIS TEN CENT WINGS will round out the bill. And renowned singer-songwriter ANDY KIM & FRIENDS will headline the festivities.

Don Kerr at Rooster Studio is recording a CD featuring all of the young bands in this year’s Little City Festival (Formerly Totstock) lineup. The compilation will be available at ZUNIOR.COM. During the Festival, musicians will sell the cards required to download the disc from Zunior and all proceeds will go to the WABASH BUILDING SOCIETY.

In addition to all of these amazing musicians and authors, ZERO GRAVITY CIRCUS will be stage a ‘knock your socks off’ show on the baseball diamond. And there will be a GRAFFITTI ZONE for budding Banksys and a DIY CRAFT ALLEY for Wild Things of all stripes.

THE LITTLE CITY FESTIVAL (Formerly TOTSTOCK) is a community celebration of the DIY spirit in youth culture featuring songs, stories, games, crafts and local food that The Little Paper, Rooster Studio and Small Print Toronto co-present every June in Sorauren Park. What began four years ago as a humble outdoor party for tots (known as Totstock) has blossomed into an annual event that attracts the population of a small Canadian city. By all accounts, last year’s festival drew a crowd of about 4500 people.