Beloved children’s entertainer Fred Penner coming to River Run Centre

March 31, 2015

Guelph, ON March 31, 2015 – After four decades as a children’s entertainer and recording artist, and a successful 12-year long run on television, Fred Penner – the gentle giant with kind eyes and an undeniable ability to make you feel good about yourself – is still connecting with kids of all ages. The celebrated troubadour, who recently took home the JUNO Award for Children’s Album of the Year, will be playing the Main Stage at River Run Centre on Sunday, April 12 at 2 pm as part of the Guelph Mercury Family Series.

Manitoba native Fred Penner launched his career as a children’s entertainer after he was invited to record a quirky track, titled The Cat Came Back. Almost immediately, The Cat Came Back became part of the Canadian pop culture fabric. However Penner explains that the seeds for his future career, and his epiphany about the ability of music to positively affect people, came from watching his younger sister Susan, a Down syndrome child, get lost in music. “Watching her grow up and seeing how deeply music affected her, I learned so much,” he told The Toronto Star. “I’d watch her getting consumed by the music. I thought, ‘Wow, there’s real power there’.”

That power in music – the power to make people move, laugh, smile, clap, dance, feel, cry and sing along – has been the key to Penner’s sustained success. Over the course of his nearly 1,000 episodes of the television series, Fred Penner’s Place (with his trademark entrance of crawling out of a giant log), his records, tours, books and videos, Penner’s sincerity and authenticity as a performer have made him a purveyor of joy for fans spanning two generations.

Fred Penner was the keynote speaker at a recent early childhood education conference. He delivered a simple but powerful message to the attendees: “Never underestimate your ability to make a difference in the life of a child.” Penner himself has truly lived that mantra.

To enjoy an afternoon with Fred Penner and to make lasting memories with the children (of all ages) in your life, contact the River Run Centre for tickets. Tickets for this performance start at $21 for adults and $17 for children. $5 eyeGO tickets are available for high school students with valid ID. $20 uGO tickets are available to university and college students with valid ID.  Please note that everyone, including children and infants, must have a ticket to enter the theatre. Tickets are available at the River Run Box Office at 519-763-3000, or online at riverrun.ca/fred-penner

FOR INFORMATION

Ella Pauls | Manager, Cultural Affairs and Tourism
Culture, Tourism and Community Investment | Public Services
City of Guelph

519-822-1260 extension 2589
[email protected]

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