A massive wave of strollers, shapely balloon animals and hyperactive children in all their glory descended upon the Nittany Mall Saturday for the 2002 edition of Kid's Fest.

The annual event, which was sponsored by the mall as well as WBHV-FM Beaver 103, Adelphia Cable and Centre Community Hospital, combined the efforts of businesses and local agencies to bring about a fun, educational experience for Centre County children, said Anne Davis, Nittany Mall marketing director.

"It's a day specifically for the kids," she said. "All of the activities and exhibits are for and about children."

More than 20 displays were erected in the mall's central plaza, with themes ranging from a child fingerprinting and photo ID station, to a padded tumbling wedge courtesy of the Nittany Gymnastics Academy, to an insect and pest exhibit from the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.

The insect display allowed children the chance to handle live cockroaches, mealworms and ladybugs, as well as to view the life stages of a mealworm through a series of microscopes. But more importantly, said Michelle Niedermeier, an Integrated Pest Management curriculum assistant with the college, it gave kids a chance to get more involved with science.

"We want to get kids not to say, 'Eww! Bugs!' " she said. "Rather, we want to get them to say, 'Ohh! Bugs!' "

The College of Agricultural Sciences also had The BugMobile, a "talking" red and black Volkswagen Beetle that resembled an enormous ladybug. Using a camera situated on the rearview mirror, Ed Rajotte, professor of entomology, talked to passing children, asking them various riddles about insects.

"Do you know who the smartest bees are?" he asked a group of three amused children. "Spelling bees."

Another display allowed children to fish in a 6-foot-by-18-foot tank filled with nearly 50 trout.

Kyle Owens, 9, of State College was one of the lucky children who snagged a bite. He whipped a nine-inch trout out of the water and immediately began pumping his fist in celebration, while yelling, "I'm going to eat him!"

"He's doing well," said Robert Rosselot, his father. "This day has been a lot of fun."

The main draw of the day for several families, though, was the appearance of Clifford the Big Red Dog, a popular literary and cartoon character among young children.

"We came just to see Clifford," said Paula Ross of Burnham, who was with her two-year-old grandson Andrew Shirey.

Clifford ambled out on the main stage just after 1 p.m. to a mix of thunderous clapping and cheering, as a crowd of children moved forward for a glimpse of the dog, nearly engulfing him.

"Right now, I'd be paranoid if I was in that suit," Ross said, laughing.

Linda Brown of Bellefonte said she had hoped Clifford -- who was on stage for five minutes -- would have had a longer stay on the stage because her sons -- Henry, 4, Max, 2, and Charlie, 5 weeks -- are huge fans.

"I was disappointed, but my kids didn't seem to mind," she said, adding that the day was still an enjoyable experience for all.

Davis said the well-attended festival was bound to be a success with families.

"It's just a crazy day, full of laughter and fun, almost like a party atmosphere."