Fred Rogers exhibit tours to kick off Latrobe's Family Days celebration of children's TV host

An open house Monday at the Fred Rogers Institute in Unity Township will kick off the annual Mister Rogers Family Days celebration that continues through June 8 in neighboring Latrobe.

Located on the campus of Saint Vincent College, the institute will offer free activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as well as tours of an exhibit highlighting the life and work of Rogers, the late Latrobe native whose “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” became an iconic children’s television series. The exhibit includes the original trolley model and some of the puppet characters that appeared in the series.

Kids can take part in a puppet-making craft and a scavenger hunt. Some select items from Rogers’ archive will make their debut on display to the public.

Tuesday will see the season kickoff of the Latrobe Farmers Market from noon to 4 p.m. in Legion Keener Park. The park also will host a 1:15 p.m. story time.

The Latrobe Art Center will host a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday for its annual open show.

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Tom Hanks as Rogers, will be screened at 7 p.m. June 7 at Latrobe Elementary School; the $5 admission includes light refreshments.

The celebration concludes with a downtown Latrobe festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 8. It will feature pony and hay rides, an obstacle course, a climbing wall and magic shows.

Visit misterrogersfamilyday.org for a full schedule of activities and advance registration, which is required for the story time, movie and magic show.