The Dinosaur Place to Host 11th Annual Monty's Fall Festival Columbus Day Weekend

NORWICH, CT, September 08, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Dinosaur Place in Montville, CT (1650 Hartford-New London Turnpike, Oakdale, CT) will host the 11th Annual Monty's Fall Festival during Columbus Day weekend — October 6 - 8, 10A - 6P, daily. This family-friendly event features fun activities all weekend long and is hosted by the Park's iconic and gigantic T-Rex, named Monty. All activities are free with paid admission to the park or with a season pass membership.

Monty's Fall Festival includes fall crafts, face painting, a magic show, moon bounce, petting zoo and more. The highlight of the festival is a concert at 1PM on Sunday October 7 by Steve Elci and Friends, the famed children's music group from Waterford, CT known for their musical "Edu-tainment" performances.

Other activities at the festival include The New York Life Child ID Program, Dime Bank face painting, a performance by magician Zach Ivins, April's Balloon Creations balloon bending, and Circle K Farm's live animal petting zoo.

"We're really excited to have so many local businesses benefit from our annual Festival this year," said Laura Rush, Guest Relations and Marketing Manager at The Dinosaur Place. "It will be a great opportunity for local and community businesses to support each other and celebrate the holiday weekend," she said.

During Monty's Fall Festival, $1.00 from each admission fee (up to $500) will be donated to L+M Hospital's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program, providing free mammograms for uninsured and under-insured women.

According to Laurel Holmes, Director of Community Health, Outreach and Partnerships at L + M Hospital, "We are thrilled that Monty's Fall Festival will benefit our Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program. The program is designed to help medically underserved women by offering breast and cervical cancer screenings, diagnostic services and treatment free of charge. It's great to see a local business working to help support this community program," she said.
The Dinosaur Place team chose to support L+M Hospital's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"This October, we wanted to support the local community and help raise awareness and funding for those who battle cancer and to help people get access to necessary cancer screenings. We are excited to partner with L+M Hospital for such a vital community program," said Linda Phillips, owner of Nature's Art: The Dinosaur Place.

Monty and his dino-friends invite all families to stop by Monty's Fall Festival to enjoy the new season and support a great cause. For further updates, or a real-time calendar of hours/activities for the festival, call 860-443-4367 or visit http://www.thedinosaurplace.com.

Nature's Art: The Dinosaur Place , is a popular family-owned and operated attraction and destination venue located within minutes of the Mystic area in Oakdale, Connecticut. Providing a quality educational and entertainment experience for all ages, families will encounter over 30 life-sized dinosaur replicas and educational exhibits along a 1 1/2 mile picturesque nature trail, which includes a state-of-the-art playground and a life-sized maze. During the summer, guests can enjoy even more fun at the dinosaur-themed Splashpad , New England's largest, zero-depth water playground. Indoors, visitors can pan for "gold" in a running creek, dig for gems in a replica silver mine or unearth fossils and learn more about the creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago. The adventure continues with a unique collection of shops including one-of-a-kind jewelry, minerals and fossils, beads and findings, and quality educational toys.

The Dinosaur Place is a member of Family Fun Mystic and the newly formed CT Dino Trail, offering affordable guest packages through both of these partnerships. Coming spring 2013, a new venue is under development on campus — a 12,000 sq ft antique market and museum that will feature antiques for both display and purchase.