JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD - Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Morale, Welfare and Recreation group is inviting JBLM families to embrace their wild side and join in on the fun at this year's Kids' Fest event set for April 29.

Themed "Welcome to the Jungle," the free event will kick off at noon at the MWR festival tent located at Lewis Main, near the bowling center, at 2200 Liggett Avenue.

The event is held annually every April to culminate Month of the Military Child celebrations. Averaging a crowd of nearly 3,000 participants each year, the festival has become a big hit with JBLM families.

"Each year, we look forward to putting this event together to celebrate Month of the Military Child here at JBLM," said Bruce Antonowicz, acting community recreation division chief at MWR. "We're excited about this year's ‘Welcome to the Jungle' theme and can't wait to have JBLM families join us for fun, food, games and more."

This year's event will feature just about every kind of entertainment a kid could imagine, with hands-on activities, inflatables, rock wall climbing, interactive games, and crafts. In addition, there will be a variety of military vehicle static displays on hand provided by I Corps and 16th Combat Aviation Brigade.

The event is open to all Department of Defense ID cardholders and their sponsored guests. The entertainment lineup will include four 30-minute shows from Reptile Isle, where handlers will show off some of their scaled friends to help educate youth. In between reptile shows will be Mario Kart tournaments displayed on a large screen for the crowd to join in on the excitement.

If that isn't enough, there will be a youth football combine set up for boys and girls to test their skills against their peers in punting, passing and kicking categories.

But wait, there's more. When families have had enough of the outdoor excitement, there is still more fun to be had indoors at the neighboring Bowl Arena Lanes. Families will be offered free bowling - limited to a two-game limit - for the duration of the festival until it ends at 4:30 p.m.