Storytimes, Disney princesses, parenting seminars, more part of free Triangle Family Expo

With a new location, the Triangle Family Expo will go on. Find out more about all this free event for families has to offer in Apex starting Friday.

Posted 7:00 p.m. Mar 21, 2013 — Updated 7:00 p.m. Mar 21, 2013

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

I first learned that Twice As Nice Kids Consignment Sale and its Triangle Family Expo were running into a major hurdle last Thursday morning.

I was on my way to Apex to meet up with Shaughnessy Dusling, who is organizing the Expo, when she called me to cancel. Instead of spending her morning talking to me about the big event, she and the sale's owners were talking to Apex police officers and others about the vandalism of the space that they had planned to use for both events. (Check the box to the left for past posts about the event).

The crime has forced sale owners Michelle Zimmerman and Karen Dorman to cancel the sale. But Apex Baptist Church in downtown Apex came to the Expo's rescue. The church on South Salem Street will host the event this Friday and Saturday.

Now that a new space has been found, I checked in with Dusling, a mom of two little girls, about the free event, what it's all about and what it offers.

Go Ask Mom: How did the idea for the expo come about?

Dusling: When the Twice as Nice Sale had originally gotten a very large venue, owners Michelle Zimmerman and Karen Dorman took me on to manage their marketing and asked me to assist in recruiting vendors. Once we determined how many vendors we could host, we knew that we had something spectacular in the making. Twice as Nice Consignment Sales provide a service to families, and we knew that there were many more businesses in the Triangle area that did as well. The three of us thought of how lovely it would be to allow them a chance to introduce themselves to the community through the Triangle Family Expo.

Having recently relocated to the Triangle area two years ago from New York, I know how overwhelming it was to know nothing about preschools, churches, parks, and the countless other family happenings in the area. Coming from having done the daunting task of finding my way on my own, planning the expo came naturally to me. I simply created a resource that I wish I had when I was newly relocated.

GAM: What's the goal for the event?

Dusling: Our goal for this event is to bring local family oriented businesses and the community they serve together in a fun way! We hope that we connect the dots for new families or ones who don't know about the many services this area has to offer them. I like to think of us as the Triangle Fairy Godmothers placing resources at the fingertips of families. :-)

GAM: What will you offer for parents and kids?

Dusling: Parents and children alike should have fun at the Triangle Family Expo. We have six scheduled storytimes, face painting, local foods, goods and merchants, two performances by the Rusty Bucket Kids band, meet and greet opportunities with four Disney princesses and the Chick-fil-A cow.

For parents, our sponsors at Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique have organized fantastic and informative seminars on babywearing, cloth diapering, postpartum weight loss, and breastfeeding. We'll also have the mom from Notes from a Mom in Chapel Hill talking about outdoor adventures that you can take with your family, and Loving Lesson's Irene Gouge talking about healthy sleep for the family, something that every parent can relate to! These presentations are sponsored by Vend Raleigh, a local group of "mompreneurs" working together to support mom-owned businesses in the Triangle.

My personal favorite thing about the Triangle Family Expo is that all the entertainment, lectures, face painting and entry to the expo is FREE!

GAM: How can the public get involved? Can they just show up?

Dusling: Yes, anyone is welcome to come! Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, at Apex Baptist Church.

GAM: Do you hope this becomes an annual or twice a year event?

Dusling: Our goal is to provide this event on an annual basis. The Twice as Nice Consignment Sale was slotted to occur at the same time as our inaugural Triangle Family Expo, but due to unforeseen circumstances, it sadly has been canceled. We look forward to having them both in future years.

For a full schedule for the expo, check the event's website.

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