“Mommy, it’s hot,” Sinclaire said, using her hand as a visor to shield the sun. “I’m still having fun, though.”

Fun, festivities and information; it was all for the taking for children young and old at the 27th annual Children’s Fair at Bucklin Park.

Coordinated by the Child Abuse Prevention Council in conjunction with the Imperial County Office of Education, and with significant help from the El Centro Parks and Recreation Department and the El Centro Kiwanis Club, the annual event, according to CAP council director Yvette Garcia, sees 35,000 visitors each year.

With 123 information, food and games booths, 20 walk-around characters and three entertainment stages, the Children’s Fair has become the “biggest single-day event in the Imperial Valley,” according to fair co-founder Peggy Calvin.

“This is a positive prevention effort,” said fair co-founder Sue Tally. “It’s an opportunity to bring kids together with adults and have a healthy, fun day in the park.”

With the event staged during child abuse prevention month, the CAP council uses the fair to provide families with information to better educate people on the subject.

Nearly 500,000 reports of child abuse occur every year in California, costing taxpayers more than $1.5 billion in services for children who are abused or in danger.

“It’s not easy being a parent,” said Calvin, “and we’re here to help. That’s why you can come here and find support, information, resources to help with your family. … It takes a village to raise a child.”

With the information geared toward parents and adults, the fair setting is for the children.

“I like playing the games; the basketball booth they have,” said 11-year-old Carlos Prado of Imperial.

His cousin, 14-year-old Jesse Rangel, came from Palm Springs early Saturday morning just to attend the fair.

“I’m from here and I’ve been to this before,” said Jesse. “I like the fair. There’s a lot of things to do. … It’s pretty cool.”

What started 27 years ago and saw several hundred people attend has ballooned and become a Valley tradition.

“It’s a family tradition for a lot of people around here. I went to the Children’s Fair when I was a kid. Now I’m here helping with it,” said Garcia. “It’s part of growing up in the Valley.”

And it has become an important tool to educate people about child abuse prevention.

Added Talley: “It’s important enough for us to do it 27 years in a row. That tells you how important this is.”

Staff Writer Eric Galvan can be reached at 337-3441 or at egalvan@ivpressonline.com