ALDERSON W.Va. (Hinton News) – For families looking for something to do during spring break, here’s a great opportunity! School-age kids–tots, tweens and, yes, even teens are invited to come to Alderson on Tuesday, March 26, to participate in a free art event where each child will have the opportunity to paint their very own lion mural.
This event will begin at 2 p.m. and will be held at Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church, 104 N. Monroe St., in Alderson. All art materials will be provided free of charge by Alderson Main Street.
Before beginning to paint, Cheryl Mansley will tell the fascinating story of French, the lion cub adopted by a woman in Alderson in the 1890s that became the first African lion at the “then new” National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and ended up as part of the Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Interested families must contact Mansley at cherylmansley@gmail.com or 304-702-0554 to sign their children up. All children must be signed up ahead of time.
This free art event is part of Alderson Main Street’s Lion Days, which will begin on March 18 and culminate on Saturday, March 30, with a gathering at the Alderson Train Depot at 2 p.m. where the lion’s story will be told. Singer-songwriter Molly Sutter will debut her new song about the Alderson lion, and the young artists will display their paintings for all to see before taking them home. Anyone unable to pick up their mural on the 30th may make other arrangements with Mansley.
