Throughout an early morning of raindrops on a summer Friday, tots peered out their windows anxiously to see if clouds would part and blue skies would emerge in time for the a scheduled visit of the royals - and they did! The Boston Common, which has hosted world leaders, dignitaries, and even a Pope, on this day would draw a crowd of young princes and princesses who were there to welcome their kin. To the delight of a group of nearly 200, the Friends of the Public Garden hosted a royal cast from Rosalita's Puppets, which transformed the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common to present "The Enchanted Castle" puppet show. Children from surrounding neighborhoods, and other parts of the city watched three riveting stories unfold before them as they sang songs and interacted with the performers. The Friends of the Public Garden hosts this event annually, which is made possible by a grant from the M. Holt Massey Charitable Trust.
"It is wonderful to watch the next generation of park users form deeper connections to this treasured greenspace, a space that means so much to our city and our country; it is the first step in helping them to understand why we need to protect it," said Elizabeth Vizza, Executive Director of the Friends of the Public Garden. "This young group, it seems, is well on their way to understanding the value of trees - when asked as part of the performance what trees give us, hands popped up and they had more answers than one might have expected - and they were really good answers!"