Bard’s birthday bash

A birthday cake that serves at least 2,000 people, live 17th-century music, and a procession led by Queen Elizabeth I, portrayed by a re-enactor, are just some of the highlights planned for the Folger Shakespeare Library’s annual William Shakespeare birthday bash April 25.

This year, the playwright, born April 23, 1564, would have turned 440 years old. Despite his ancient age, Shakespeare appeals to the younger crowd, party organizers say.

“We have quite the stroller brigade here in the early part of the day,” says Garland Scott, head of public relations for the Folger Shakespeare Library.

The festivities take place from noon to 4 p.m.

Ms. Scott says this younger crew enjoys free balloons, fake tattoos, face painting and storytelling, featuring among other children’s books “Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England,” by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema. Queen Elizabeth I was Shakespeare’s contemporary.

Youngsters can meet and greet the queen during the party, and at the end of the day, the monarch will serve birthday cake.

“The queen will probably wear a glorious silver satin, bejeweled dress,” says Janet Field-Pickering, head of education at the library.

Little girls and boys who are interested in Elizabethan manners will get a chance to learn how to bow and curtsy to the queen as well as learn and perform an old-time dance called the barnsle dance.

“I think children get a good sense of Shakespeare’s life and times at this event,” Ms. Field-Pickering says. “They get to experience Elizabethan music, manners, dress and stage combat.”

The stage-combat demonstration and workshop, among the event’s most popular activities, give children a chance to learn about the staged combat scenes, including swordplay, that are so common in Shakespeare’s plays.

“Stage combat is a real crowd-pleaser. Kids just love it,” Ms. Scott says.

Children also will get a chance to perform for a few minutes on the Folger stage, over which hangs a canopy with the words, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.”

When youngsters need a break from high-energy activities, storytelling is a good way to wind down. It will be available throughout the day in reading rooms that otherwise are closed to the public. These rooms feature magnificent stained-glass windows, wood paneling, oversized chandeliers and oil paintings depicting sometimes gruesome scenes from Shakespeare’s plays.

Children can participate in scavenger hunts, and docents will give tours of the library and theater spaces. Other activities include brooch, badge and pendant making (using dried pasta, gold spray paint and ribbons) and Elizabethan games such as ninepins (reminiscent of today’s bowling).

Also featured at the party will be strolling singers and lute players, and if the weather is nice, tours of the garden. Herbs and other plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s works will be on display and for sale.

Though the birthday bash is the best time to catch a wide range of children’s activities, the Folger offers plenty of family-friendly programs and exhibits throughout the year.

The current exhibit, “Word and Image: The Trevelyon Miscellany of 1608,” which runs through May 22, features art by 17th-century English artist Thomas Trevelyon. The exhibit is accompanied by a family guide with explanations and questions about the exhibit.

“This is a great exhibit for children,” Ms. Field-Pickering says. “It’s very accessible.”

The Folger’s Web site (www.folger.edu) also has plenty of material about Shakespeare and the 16th and 17th centuries to help introduce children to the playwright and his times.

Still, the birthday extravaganza really shouldn’t be missed, organizers say. It’s a great chance to sample music, song, manners, clothes, literature, art and drama from the Elizabethan era. Cake, too.

“I think it’s magical for children,” Ms. Field-Pickering says. “I think this event really transports them back in time.”

WHEN YOU GO:

LOCATION: The Folger Shakespeare Library is at 201 East Capitol St. SE, Washington.

Directions: The library is located two blocks east of the Capitol.

• By car from Virginia: Take the 14th Street bridge and stay on the expressway to the Sixth Street exit, passing exits for the Capitol and South Capitol Street. Turn left on Sixth Street and follow it to Pennsylvania Avenue. Turn left on Pennsylvania Avenue and right onto Third Street. The Folger is the second building on the left. To arrive at the front of the building, turn left onto East Capitol Street.

• By car from Maryland: Take Route 295 south (Baltimore-Washington Parkway). From 295 take the Pennsylvania Avenue exit toward Washington and turn right on Third Street. The Folger is the second building on the left. To arrive at the front of the building, turn left on East Capitol Street.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Admission: Free

Parking: Limited street parking is available. The Union Station stop on Metro’s Red Line and the Capitol South stop on Metro’s Orange and Blue lines are about a 10-minute walk from the library.

Note: The visitors desk always has a children’s guide to the current exhibit. Through May 22, the exhibit is titled “Word and Image: The Trevelyon Miscellany of 1608” and features artwork by 17th-century English artist Thomas Trevelyon. The guide takes the young museum-goer on a scavenger hunt of the exhibit.

More information: 202/544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu

FAMILY ACTIVITIESAT THE FOLGER:

• Shakespeare’s birthday — April 25, noon to 4 p.m. Celebrate William Shakespeare’s 440th birthday with jugglers and jesters, music, song and dance. Enjoy stage-combat workshops and the chance to perform your favorite lines of Shakespeare on the Folger stage. The event also features tours and treasure hunts in the Folger’s reading rooms on the one day of the year they are open to the public. Plus, a Queen Elizabeth impersonator will serve free birthday cake to everyone. Free admission; food and drink available for purchase. Information: 202/544-7077.

• “Cracking the Comedy” — May 15, 10 a.m. to noon. Join this fast-paced, lighthearted look at mistaken identity and farce, key elements of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors.” Twins are particularly welcome, and no acting experience is necessary. Appropriate for children ages 8 and older. Fee: $10 per person. Information: 202/544-7077.

• Elizabethan swordplay — May 22, 10 a.m. to noon. Try your hand at stage combat made easy with a step-by-step look at how sword fights and more are put together for the theater. This event provides a chance to stand on the Folger’s Elizabethan stage. Appropriate for children ages 8 and older. Fee: $10 per person. Information: 202/544-7077.