Good, clean fun at Village for Kids
A bubble-foam party has become one of the favorite attractions at the McKeesport festival.
Children from throughout the McKeesport area gathered Monday at Renziehausen Park to enjoy games, food, prizes and a whole lot of foam.
The 17th annual Village for Kids drew a large crowd to enjoy the family-friendly fun. It takes place on the day before the city’s International Village celebration.
– Laila Martin, 5, of Monongahela, and Juan Gabriel Inca, 9, are crowned princess and prince of the 2026 McKeesport International Village for Kids on Monday. Posing with them are McKeesport Mayor Thomas Maglicco and state Sen. Nick Pisciottano. Jeff Helsel / MVI
One of the most popular attractions over the past two years has been a bubble-foam party provided by McKeesport Housing Authority, which allows the children to play in a soapy environment.
Kristie Molanick of Jefferson Hills has been attending Village for Kids for years. She was there Monday with her two sons, ages 10 and 12, and her 1-year-old daughter.
“We grew up in West Mifflin by Jim’s Hot Dogs, so this is an event we come to every year,” Molanick said. “So I thought it’s like a tradition. We love International Village.”
McKeesport resident Xandria Richards, a new
Wyler Staiger, 3, and Wyatt Staiger, 7, of McKeesport, pose for a photo with the Pittsburgh Pirates Parrot during the International Village for Kids in McKeesport on Monday afternoon. Jeff Helsel / MVI
parent in the city, saw an opportunity to have her kids make friends and meet other children before starting their first year of school in the district.
“This is a really good back-to-school moment,” she said. “They get to meet other kids, do fun things with other kids and get to see more of the community before school.”
McKeesport fire Chief Kevin Kovach has been attending the International Village festival for 25 years and started volunteering with Village for Kids when it began. Volunteers from McKeesport Firefighters Local Station 10 purchased a snow cone machine that they used to hand out free treats to the children.
-Ava Brown, 13, of McKeesport poses for a photo with McKeesport police Sgt. Eli Tubin and K-9 Moxie during the McKeesport International Village for Kids on Monday. Jeff Helsel / MVI
“I remember coming to all the Kids’ Village events just to see them. It’s great to see the kids right before school,” Kovach said. “I understand that everything’s free for them, so it’s awesome.
“They get something to eat, to stay cool and see their friends before school. I think it’s one of the nicest things that the city does. It’s always an exciting week here.”
Angela Ruccio, youth services coordinator for the Carnegie Free Library of McKeesport, stated that the library is often overlooked and hidden from families, which prompted them to have a table at
McKeesport Firefighters Union Local 10 President Forrest Kovacevic poses with his son, Bennett, as he enjoys a snow cone during the McKeesport International Village for Kids on Monday. Jeff Helsel / MVI
Monday’s festival.
“We wanted to make sure that people in the community realized that we are there, that the library’s there,” she said. “A lot of people that live in the area still come in and say they never knew this was here. So just to get the word out, we offer a lot of resources for all ages.
“We have a children’s room and we run children’s programs and adult programs. So it’s really just a way to reach out to the community.”
Cameron Preston, program manager for the McKeesport CLUB Teen Center, said the
Children play amid clouds of foam during the McKeesport International Village for Kids on Monday. The foam area was set up by the McKeesport Housing Authority. Jeff Helsel / MVI
organization has been at Village for Kids for the past three years. The lifelong McKeesport resident always looks for opportunities to advocate for the CLUB Teen Center.
“We decided to table because we would like to reach the communities so that they know what services that we have available,” Preston said.
Preston’s daughter, 9-yearold Paige Price, was selected as the Village for Kids princess in 2022.
“Being a McKeesporter, International Village is the end-of-summer festival for us, and we know school is going back in, where it’s time to resume regular
McKeesport Firefighters Union Local 10 President Forrest Kovacevic presents a snow cone to Axel Hay, 6, of McKeesport during the McKeesport International Village for Kids on Monday. Jeff Helsel / MVI
life,” Preston said.
Toni Corinealdi, senior program manager of Empowerment and Outreach for Fund My Future Pittsburgh, was there to make families aware of the opportunity to build a savings fund for their children’s futures. Corinealdi added that Fund My Future PGH has been hosting a table at Village for Kids for five years, with approximately 6,000 families currently utilizing the organization’s services.
“We just want Allegheny County to be the county that has the most families who are safe, and we’re glad that we were invited back to this event,” Corinealdi said. “Every time we get here, we get families to sign up, and we’re looking forward to coming back again.”
Alison Piccolino and state Sen. Nick Pisciottano spent months preparing for Monday’s event, gathering sponsors and volunteers to donate gifts and represent their organizations.
Piccolino, who serves as Pisciottano’s director of external affairs, has been at the forefront of the event since its inception, also working for Sen. Sean Logan and Sen. Jim Brewster throughout the years.
Organizers initially planned for Village for Kids to be a one-time event to give children their own version of International Village. Various youth organizations, led by the McKeesport Healthier Communities PartnerSHIP Youth Logic Model, gathered together to host the event.
Piccolino estimates that approximately 500 children attend the festival each year. She added that the event’s motto, “It’s a great day to just be a kid,” reflects children’s desire to be themselves.
Piccolino stated that the first village event had approximately 1,000 kids in attendance, which prompted the event to become an annual kick-starter to International Village. Piccolino and Dexter Hairston, now executive director of the Kingsley Association, functioned as chair and co-chair of Village for Kids 17 years ago.
“We’re just really thankful, not only for all the vendors and all the organizations that help sponsor it and also participate, but also to all the families and the groups that bring the kids here to enjoy the day,” Piccolino said.
One tradition that has stuck since the event’s creation was the crowning of a prince and princess, who are given free entry to International Village and attend an on-stage ceremony where they are each given a bike and safety helmet provided by the McKeesport Trail Commission.
This year’s winners are 9-year-old Juan Gabriel-Inca and 5-year-old Laila Martin.
