SINGAPORE – To make the June school holidays as sweet as honey, Gardens by the Bay is inviting families to its annual free Children’s Festival, which returns with outdoor play activities inspired by Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet.

Running from May 30 to June 21, the event also celebrates a historic milestone: the 100th publishing anniversary of the classic children’s book series that introduced these characters and their adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood. The tales were first published on Oct 14, 1926, by English author A.A. Milne and English illustrator E.H. Shepard.

The Straits Times was given an exclusive preview on May 26 of how these beloved stories are being brought to life beneath the Gardens’ iconic Supertrees.

A festival highlight is the South-east Asian debut of Pooh’s Grand Friendship Party, a 10-minute song-and-dance parade. The spectacle features whimsical inflatables of Pooh and his best friends towering up to 7m, supported by more than 25 performers.

And because no celebration is complete without dessert, the parade culminates in a delightful surprise: a giant, inflatable three-tiered cake.

The parade takes place every Saturday at 3.30pm and 5.30pm, with the exception of opening day on May 30, which features only one show at 3.30pm. Gather around the lawn in front of the Jurassic Nest food court ahead of time to secure the best vantage point.

“For a century, Winnie the Pooh has charmed audiences with stories rooted in sincerity and simplicity. As more people seek mindfulness and joy in the everyday, the charm and gentleness of the Hundred Acre Wood feels more relevant than ever – and at Disney, this kind of timeless storytelling is at the heart of what we do,” Mr Alex Baillie, The Walt Disney Company’s vice president and general manager of Disney Consumer Products in South Asia Pacific, tells The Straits T...