Young people are invited to head into Cathedral Square this Friday, 5 July to join together in celebrating peace.

The Kids 4 Peace event, a joint initiative between Christchurch’s Sister Cities Programme and GlobalNet, is part of the TV2 KidsFest programme.

The celebrations get under way at noon. There will be colourful performances by young people representing Christchurch’s sister-cities in China, Japan and Korea and a fun show by children’s entertainers Ticklish Allsorts from Christchurch’s sister city of Adelaide.

This international band is a high-energy, interactive music show that combines song and dance with colour fantasy characters including Radish the Pantomime Horse and Alistair the Scottish Teddy Bear.

Local children, and those from Christchurch’s sister cities, have been busy making colourful paper cranes to parade on the day. Two thousand cranes have already arrived from Kurashiki, Christchurch’s sister city in Japan.

There’s still time for children to make cranes and bring them along on Friday. Instructions are available on the Internet, at www.kidsfest.org.nz There will also be a chance to make them onsite from 11am. Experts will be on hand to show children what to do.

The free entertainment will be followed by a short parade at 1.30pm, led by GlobalNet’s Astro, from the Square to Friendship Corner at the end of the City Mall, where the peace cranes will be displayed on stands alongside those made by children from Christchurch’s sister cities. If wet, the event will be held inside the Christ Church Cathedral from 1–2pm (no parade).