Downtown Front Royal’s Historic Business District Hosts 10th Annual Family Fun Day — and it was … FUN!

The park entrance from Chester Street was manned by hand-carved critters, some sporting welcoming messages, while some just watched passing families, children and pets in hand, arriving for some fun on a beautiful Spring day. And let’s not forget whose idea Family Fun Day was in the first place a decade ago. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Pulling Strings was on the live music first shift in the later morning hours. Uh oh, below Pulling Strings seems to have lost one string pulling guitarist, or has he elevated into the Gazebo somewhere?

Around 2 p.m. it was The Sidemen’s turn. We think we got all 6 of them on this side angle shot as they got rolling, and for sure all 6 from the front, if not the final one featuring frontman/percussionist Bev Williams, the rhythm section, and founding member Donnie Walton on keyboards.

Castles made of bouncy stuff are always a smile for the kids. And below, an adventures in scouting tent, with the ‘Front Royal Train Co.’ caboose partially visible to the left.

A first look, there’s more later, at what appears to be the ‘Hike Kidz Foundation’ pirate ship pulling into Family Fun Day’s port of call. Nothing to worry about, right?

Families get the ball rolling on a little fun in some open space by the park Pavillion.

Now there’s a football BLAST from the PAST — ‘Hail to the Redskins’ as they used to be known until the 1700-1800’s genesis of the name became an issue of political incorrectness.

Mary B’s Family Fun Day Menu looks like a crowd pleaser …

.. as does C&C Frozen Treats trailer with its movable message of love and icy yummies.

Get ready for some smiles as we highlight the stilted, ‘Bee lady’. First, she appears to be offering some candy-cane looking objects before making, dare we say, an aggressive move with those candy-cane objects. But then offering a hoop to be jumped thru to the kids. Best to learn young to do as stilted Bee Lady suggests, however subtly. Our information is that the Bee Lady buzzed up here from Luray and may answer to the name Charlene.

And that promised 2nd look at the ‘Hike Kidz Foundation’ pirate ship. A closer look seems to indicate that the ship and its bubble-blasting cannon are being piloted and manned by skeletons, who are also at the rear of the ship with what appears to be some pirate-taken booty piled up above.

A perspective looking down East Main St. from its intersection with Chester St. blocked off for additional vendor tents — and perhaps to keep marauding skeleton-piloted pirate ships away.

Musicians during a lull in the live music action gather to discuss the general state of affairs under sunny, spring skies as The Sidemen prepared for their 2 p.m. starting time.

A midday perspective looking south toward East Main St. from the Pavilion area off Laura Virginia Hale Place.

A food stop at Clay’s BBQ looked like a good idea to this lineup of Family Fun Day patrons.