The festival is geared toward children under 8 years of age and will feature face painting, a horse bouncer, a small animal petting zoo, a kids leaf stomp, country fair games, children's crafts, a family scarecrow garden and a "down home" bake sale.

"The feedback we got last year, which was the first year we did this, was that it was a great family event for young children," said Barbara Hill, the center's director. "We hope to replicate that again this year."

The festival will take place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the center's Lab School's play yard at 18330 Halsted St. in Northridge. Admission is $5 per person. Children 2 years and under are free.

For more information, call the Lab School at (818) 677-3131.

The Lab School and the center are part of CSUN's Department of Family Environmental Sciences and are dedicated to fostering the growth and development of the whole child as well as forming a partnership with the child's family. The school also serves as a learning environment for CSUN students interested in working with children.

California State University, Northridge has more than 30,000 full- and part-time students and offers 63 bachelor's and 51 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the third largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges recently said CSUN "stands as a model to other public urban institutions of higher education."