Description

This annual event is an educational "fun day" for Brighton students in grades 3 through 8. Each year, roughly 700 students participate in almost 70 workshops led by members of the community. Most presenters are adults, but several workshops are led by students or clubs from Brighton High School.

This year's mind-boggling array of topics includes returning favorites such as Circus Arts, Cake Decorating, Clay Creations, SCUBA Diving, Bavarian Pretzels, and Archery. For 2023, the lineup includes exciting new entries such as Magic, Chocolate Falafel, Kali Warrior Martial Art, Drum Circle, Marbled Paper, Watercolor Fun, How to Grow Plants With Poop! Want the whole story? Click here to download the Idea Catalog in PDF form!

When

Saturday, March 4, 2023
1:00–4:20 PM

Where

Brighton High School

Format

Three sessions of 50-minute workshops. While most workshop presenters lead three sessions, some may choose to lead only one or two. Workshops can be limited in size or restricted to a specific age group if the presenter wishes. In addition, the Festival committee is happy to provide volunteer helpers, supplies and audiovisual equipment as required.

Sponsor

The Festival of Ideas is sponsored by Brighton Central Parent-Teacher-Student Association, but is not a PTSA fund-raiser. Most presenters are volunteers, and the registration fee ($5 per student) is used to pay event costs.

Festival could not happen without the generous support we receive from the Brighton Central School District, Wegmans, and the Pisces School of Dive. Additional support is provided by Tops Markets and Henrietta Restaurant Supply.

Organizers

The Festival of Ideas committee is composed of Brighton parents, teachers, students and community members. The committee is chaired by Martha Sciremammano. Working on Festival is good clean fun! If you'd like to join the committee, please call Martha at ‭(585) 746-6818‬, or send her e-mail:
marthascire@gmail.com

Idea Catalog and Festival Registration

About six weeks before Festival, registration materials are distributed at FRES and TCMS. The packet comes home in kids' backpacks, so parents are asked to watch carefully for its arrival!

Kids read the Idea Catalog and pre-register for the six workshops that most appeal to them using a registration form included in the packet. If a student is registering for SCUBA Diving, his or her parents must complete and sign the included SCUBA Permission Form.

The registration deadline is Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

The Festival committee assigns each student to three workshops, based on space availability and other constraints. The kids receive their assignments -- a very exciting moment! -- on the day of the Festival.

Volunteers Needed!

Parents and friends, adults and teens are invited to join the fun. If you can help out for an hour or two -- or for the entire afternoon -- please fill out our Volunteer Sign-Up Form, available as part of our registration materials.

Festival T-Shirts

Each year, a student artist provides a cool new design for our official Festival of Ideas T-shirt. Click here for all the details on our T-shirt design contest.

To order a Festival T-shirt, return your T-Shirt Order Form with your Festival registration materials by January 25, 2023.

2022 Photo Album

Want to get a little feel for Festival? Visit the 2022 Photo Album!

This year's photos -- over 470 of them in all! -- came to us courtesy of Dan Goldman (BCSD Communication Coordinator), Eric Gruner (BCSD Digital Media and Video Production), and Brent Keller (Pisces Dive).

Festival in the News

BCSD videographer Eric Gruner provided a great feel for the event with this video detailing 2016's Festival of Ideas:

Questions about Festival?

Contact Martha Sciremammano, our Festival committee chairperson, at ‭(585) 746-6818‬ or marthascire@gmail.com.