DinoRock Brings Kids' Entertainment to Mason District Park Festival

Looking for a free way to entertain the kids? Take your children to see DinoRock perform Saturday morning at the annual Mason District Park Festival. DinoRock will kick off the festival, which features live entertainment acts, crafts, pony and hay rides, a moon bounce and police and fire department demonstrations.

DinoRock has been a national  name in children's entertainment for more than 20 years. The award-winning group has sold more than 100,000 audio recordings worldwide.

Learn more about Saturday's performance in this Q&A with DinoRock founder Michele Valeri.

What gave you the idea to start DinoRock Productions?

I wrote some songs for the opening of a newly remodeled Dinosaur Hall at the Natural History Museum on the Mall in 1982. My friend and fellow musician Mike Stein performed the songs and said they were so well received we should write some more and make a record. The CD was called Dinosaur Rock! and that was the start of it all.

Do you have any background or interest in paleontology? Why did you lean toward dinosaurs as the subject of your performances?

I didn’t know anything about dinosaurs when I started, so I went over to the Natural History Museum to look at the Dinosaur Hall. A small boy came in with his parents. He couldn’t have been more than three and a half. He saw the flying reptile hanging from the ceiling. He said “Look, Mommy, it’s a Quetzalcoatlus.” I was blown away that he knew that very large word. I decided dinosaurs were a great way to involve young children in science.

What has the journey been like from producing your first album in 1984 to now selling more than 100,000 award-winning audio recordings? 

It’s been a blast. After all these years, I never tire of performing for families. It never gets old watching young children who are so excited about dinosaurs. I feel a real responsibility to try to be as scientifically accurate as possible just to keep up with their enthusiasm.

What makes DinoRock unique in the world of children’s entertainment?

I think the size of the puppets and the live music combine to make the theatrical experience fun and memorable. Also, we always try to involve the children in a very integrated way in the show.

What can local families expect from your concert on Saturday morning? 

They can expect a lot of audience participation and singing along.

Have you ever performed at Mason District Park?

Yes. It’s always a joy to perform there. The stage is comfortable and the venue is comfy.

What do you love most about performing in DinoRock?

The interplay between the performers and the audience and the ‘in the moment’ energy the children give back to us while we’re doing the songs always makes me feel so alive. It’s pure joy!

Learn more about DinoRock.

Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m.; Free
6621 Columbia Pike; (703) 941-1730