What started as an informal get-together to help moms make friends has grown into a much bigger movement. Mamapalooza is set to take place in August, but the group behind it has much bigger plans for the future.
Laura Faust is the co-president of Mama’s Village, an emerging non-profit organization in the area dedicated to helping local moms. “Our mission is to provide services and goods to mothers in Central PA in order to bridge societal issues,” she said. “These services include mothers’ helpers, cleaning, and so on. In addition, we provide goods such as maternal clothing, children’s clothing, and more as available. We host a variety of social events as well in order to allow moms to meet and form lasting friendships. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as we’re hoping to provide a lot more in the future.”
Mamapalooza was born when someone posted in a local Facebook group (All Moms of Hershey and Harrisburg) about finding mom friends, and asked if anyone would be willing to get together and rent a bounce house for the kids, while the moms got together to drink margaritas.
READ: South Central PA Summer Bucket List: 50+ Things to Do!
“My co-president, Jessica, took great initiative and with that post in mind she posted asking if anyone wanted to help plan an event where moms could get together and let the kids play,” Faust said. “From then on, a group of us got together and started planning. It has grown so much bigger than any of us could have expected, and it’s amazing!”
Mamapalooza will be held on August 13th at H.M. Levitz Memorial Park in Grantville from 10:00am – 5:00pm. Tickets are donation-based, and can be purchased on EventBrite. There will be multiple inflatables, including a 40-foot bounce house, and other fun activities, with Disney princesses available for a meet-and-greet, a mommy-and-me mini shoot, food, games, vendors, mocktails, and much more.
“We’re hoping that moms will come and meet other moms,” Faust said. “Forming long lasting and genuine friendships is a necessity for moms, yet it’s so difficult at times. We want moms to come hang out, let the kids have fun while they’re having just as much fun! We want them to walk away from the day feeling a sense of belonging and like they were able to meet like minded people!”
While the goal is to have one fun community event with Mamapalooza, it is also to help moms build a village — something many moms struggle with.
“I think it is hard to meet other moms and make friendships,” Faust said. “As moms we already have so much on our plates, and it’s hard to balance it all. Finding the time and place to connect with other moms can be difficult, especially as we’re always trying to find like minded people. I think that providing that space and time are what we’re all about! Everyone deserves to have mom friends they count on and who could be part of their village.”
Get more information about Mamapalooza on their official Facebook page!
