Reading and a little singing and dancing too

Chockful of fun for kids, the first ever Hoboken Family Arts Fest, hosted by the Mile Square Theatre, will celebrate the back-to-school season with short readings and presentations by children's book authors and illustrators at the Monroe Center for the Arts, on the second floor at 720 Monroe St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11.

The event, sponsored by the Hoboken Family Alliance and Patch, will also feature musical acts and theater productions, as well as drama, dance, and yoga workshops for kids. Tickets are $5 for adults and children and will be available at the door. All proceeds will go to support the Mile Square Theatre, a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 to promote theater arts in the community.

"We want families to celebrate the arts and to integrate it into their lives with their children," said Chris O'Connor, the Mile Square Theatre's artistic director. "We want it to happen in Hoboken. Part of the Mile Square Theatre mission is to really enrich the artistic culture of our town by providing these things. There's so much one can go across the river and do, and we want to embrace that we can do it here in Hoboken."

Featured readers will include Hoboken resident Darren Farrell, the author and illustrator of Doug Dennis and the Flying Fib, and Ro Rao, the illustrator and co-creator of Herbert's Wormhole. Bob Shea, a writer and artists for networks like PBS Kids and Nick Jr., will be there, as well as musical performers Big Jeff, known for his kids' music CD "Warm for the Winter," and Miss Nina, who received a 2010 Parents' Choice Award for her debut album "Singing and Dancing Together." Hoboken's own Dave Lambert will also play a few songs.

Workshops will be provided by the Mile Square Theatre Drama School, Hudson Dance and Movement, and Yogi Beans, local studios that offer classes for kids throughout the year. "We are offering a sampler and giving parents an opportunity to let their kids try them out," said O'Connor. "It's a good chance to put your toe in the water without having to commit to a class."

The Mile Square Theatre also runs a summer camp each year, and at Saturday's event, three girls who finished the program this past August will perform a scene from the play A Midsummer Night's Dream. They even mastered the Shakespearean language to do so. "They really got it," said O'Connor. "It was a very rich experience for them." He added that they each play about three characters. "It's so charming. It's really fun."

The event will also feature information tables by local organizations, including Urban Arts, Hoboken Project Play, Hartshorn Photography, and the Monroe Street Movement yoga studio.

For more information, visit www.milesquaretheatre.org.