Families looking for a lot of kid-friendly fun swarmed the IPFW campus Friday for the Children’s Fest, part of the Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival.

The two-day event, which is presented this year by Lutheran Children’s Hospital and ITT Industries, began Friday and will continue until 4 p.m. Saturday. Hundreds of moms and dads and their kids had already shown up Friday to peruse dozens of sponsored booths offering free or low-cost activities for the youngsters.

“It’s a way for families to come out and the kids to do a lot of activities,” said Carmen DeBruce, outreach director for Lutheran Children’s Hospital.

It was difficult for some kids to decide on their favorite part of the fest, but Gabriela Reina, 10, provided a broad summation. “My favorite thing so far has been seeing all the things Fort Wayne has put together for kids to do,” the Fort Wayne resident said.

And it’s not all just fun and games, according to DeBruce, who said Lutheran Children’s Hospital begins planning for the event in March. The hospital has taken part in the fest for 10 years, and will have about 30 volunteers manning its booth over the two days, said DeBruce. She estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 people come to the fest each year.

Along with the fun, DeBruce said the hospital has an educational role. Hospital staff are prepared to answer any questions parents have about their children’s health, she said. And some activities, like the obstacle course, may even help parents identify health issues that should be addressed.

Parkview Trauma Center is giving presentations about bicycle safety at its booth, as well as handing out vouchers for free bike helmets. “It’s been ridiculously popular,” said Krystal Eby, an intern at the trauma center.

Eby said the center has been giving out 65 vouchers every hour during the fest, a total of nearly 800 helmets over two days. “But we’ve seen a lot more (people) than that” at the booth, she said. According to Eby, those who couldn’t get one of the vouchers can buy a helmet from Parkview’s safety store at 1818 Carew St. for $8. Helmets normally cost between $15 and $20 at retail stores, said Eby.

When it’s all said and done, though, the Children’s Fest is all about fun. “It’s a very, very cool event,” said DeBruce. “One I look forward to every year.”