Celebrate "Maniac Magee Day" in Norristown this Saturday

Saturday, June 2, 2012, Elmwood Park and the Elmwood Park Zoo, at 1661 Harding Blvd. in Norristown, PA will be the location for a full day of events revolving around a beloved book set in Norristown, its characters, and the book's renowned author, Jerry Spinelli, a Norristown native. Conicelli Autoplex is proud to be one of the Presenting Sponsors of this Norristown Bicentennial event.

Maniac Magee is a Newbery Medal-winning novel about a boy who runs all the way across Pennsylvania and finally stops in the town of Two Mills, which is never the same again.

From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., the Norristown Bicentennial Committee will host a series of events, all of which are free and open to the public. This is the latest event in the year-long commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Municipality of Norristown on March 31, 1812.
  
Among the planned activities to be held at Elmwood Park and the Elmwood Park Zoo:

• Several scenes from Spinelli's popular 1990 novel, "Maniac Magee," will be recreated by local theatre groups
• Local students will be selected to perform with the acting troupes
• Sets will be built to create the backdrop and bring the book to life in the Elmwood Park Zoo, Elmwood Park and the sports fields
• Five- to fifteen-minute performances will be held throughout the day
• Meet Maniac Magee author Jerry Spinelli at a question-and-answer session
• Walk into a Living Storybook
• See scenes from the novel come alive including a visit to the Elmwood Park Zoo
• Enjoy Sam Lit from HyLitRadio.com as emcee and Carmen Astrella, original dancer from American Bandstand
• See the locations where Maniac "lived" and thrived in Norristown

Jerry Spinelli, author of "Maniac Magee"

There will also be vendors with a variety of food, including hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cake, water ice and more at great prices, plus there will be oldies music, sports, baseball and football mini-clinics, and a knot-tying contest with pizza prizes! It should be a day of great fun and activities for kids from 7-15, especially Scouts and Brownies.

Jerry Spinelli is the author of more than a dozen books for young readers, including Maniac Magee (Little Brown, 1990), winner of the Newbery Medal; Wringer, a Newbery Honor Book; and Stargirl (Knopf, 2000) a New York Times bestseller and an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults.

Conicelli Autoplex is proud to be a Presenting Sponsor for the Norristown Bicentennial.

Upcoming events in the ongoing Norristown Bicentennial include:
6/16: Juneteenth Day - A celebration of black history beginning at The Centre Theater
6/16: 8th Annual Norristown Rally for Youth at Greater Norristown PAL
6/23: Gospel Concert at Elmwood Park Band Shell mlkstat.com
7/4: 4th of July Parade and fireworks
8/5: Bocce tournament at Elmwood Park
9/15: Festival del Grito de la Independcia de Mexico
9/29: PA State Firemen's convention & parade

More information about the Norristown Bicentennial can be found at www.norristown200.com and www.norristown.org/featured/bicentennial or on Facebook.