I used to walk into my mother's kitchen, leave footprints on the floor and chalk dust all over the countertops. I heaved my pail of the colorful "dust sticks" onto the shelf and clapped my messy hands with joy, pleading for my mom to come see what I created.

All along our infinite driveway was an array of colors. I drew so many things with chalk -- maps with roadways, houses and cars, hopscotch blocks, running tallies of Red Rover, and murals of creatures from my imagination. I painted the driveway so thick with chalk drawings, the treads on my dad's tires became permanently stained for the summer. For days, my creation lasted, but then it rained and a colorful pool drained away at the bottom of the road. All the kids from the neighborhood would stick their toes in and tie-dye their feet.

I am looking forward to once again being able to slap chalk dust from my hands during the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington Chalk Festival. As part of their 4th Annual Prelude Festival, which runs throughout the month of September, a number of events, including the 21st Annual Open House, which will commence on the front plaza on September 10, at 11:30 a.m., are scheduled to introduce the upcoming fall season of performances.

The chalk festival was founded by artist and illustrator, Edwin Fontanez. Parents and kids of all ages are welcome to attend and take part in drawing from their own imagination. The event happens after the opening ceremony and directly in front of the sidewalks on the front plaza from noon to 6 p.m. Chalk artists will be on hand to help and inspire, and chalk will be provided. The Open House will include a huge parade and more than 30 performances, demonstrations and events. Musicians will serenade the crowd, and costumed characters will be ready for photo-ops. The Lion Dance Company will also provide a preview of the captivating culture featured in the upcoming Festival of China.

I almost wish I were 8 years old again!

The whole purpose of the Prelude Festival is to celebrate and preview the Kennedy Center's future performances. The new fall season will showcase the single largest celebration of Chinese performing arts in American history. During October, China's best musicians, dancers, puppeteers, actors and acrobats will present their nation's 5,000 years of history with performances by the China National Peking Opera, National Ballet of China, Inner-Mongolian Chorus, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Beijing People's Art Theatre.

More than 25 D.C., area theater companies will appear in a series of free readings of plays and musicals at various venues, September 3-5. Highlights will include "Treasure Island" by Ken Ludwig, a new play by Stephen Massicotte, the author of "Mary's Wedding," a sneak peek at Horton Foote's "The Beginning of Summer," and Chinese Opera star, Qian Yi in "A Robe for the Moon."

Be sure to also check out the ongoing series of performances on the Millennium Stage, which will feature special previews of fall musicals this month like "Captivated," presented by the Olney Theatre Center on September 3, and "Nevermore," inspired by Edgar Allen Poe and presented by Signature Theater on September 5. The Millennium Stage continues to reach a wider audience with free performances open to the public every day of the year. It is a great place to bring your kids and expose them to the performing arts.

The Kennedy Center is a binding force in the Washington, D.C., community, bringing society and the arts together. The quotation by John F. Kennedy on the wall of the grand entrance reads, "There is a connection, hard to explain logically but easy to feel, between achievement in public life and progress in the arts." It is an essential part of a child's growth to be able to express himself through art. The Prelude Festival offers activities that both parents and children will love and enjoy.

Washington Parent is proud to sponsor the Center's Chalk Festival, and we look forward to getting both our hands and feet messy with all of you. For a complete list of up-to-date information on the events, visit www.kennedy-center.org