123 Andrés headline Green Music Center’s free Family Day

Taking the whole family anyplace can be expensive, so Green Music Center’s second annual free Family Day on Saturday, starring the children’s music duo 123 Andrés, offers parents an economical opportunity to treat the kids to some fun.

Although the event in Rohnert Park is free, tickets are required, and many already have been issued in advance. There will be a limited number of free tickets available at the event, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, which need to be requested in person at the Green Music Center box office.

The event will feature food trucks, family activities including a Sonoma County Library station, a Public Broadcasting System kids booth, giant building blocks and more, all afternoon.

There will be two concerts in Weill Hall, by Play Marimba! at 1:15 p.m. and by 123 Andrés at 2 p.m.

From 3 to 5 p.m., attractions include performances by Grupo Folklórico Quetzalén, hip-hop dance workshops led by Farrah McAdam, face painters, kids’ activities led by Sonoma State University education students, and Play Marimba! workshops.

Jacob Yarrow, director of the Green Music Center, estimated that more than 1,000 people attended the free Family Day last year at Green Music Center.

“There are so many great touring artists who are performing for younger audiences,” Yarrow said.

The husband-and-wife duo 123 Andrés ― Andrés Salguero, who grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, and Christina Sanabria, raised in the United States by Colombian parents ― perform in both English and Spanish.

The story behind the act’s name is simple, Sanabria said: “When you get ready to play, you say, ‘1, 2, 3, go!’ And in Spanish, ‘unos, dos, tres’ rhymes with Andrés.”

The duo has recorded half a dozen albums since 2015. This year, their most recent recording, “We Grow Together, Preschool Songs,” won a Grammy for best children’s album.

While the duo is happy and energetic in performance, there is some serious education informing their work. Salguero has his doctorate and Sanabria received a master's degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania.

“I used to be an elementary school teacher,” Sanabria said.

Salguero and Sanabria have performed for audiences across the United States, as well as in Puerto Rico, Panama and Mexico. They combine a painless introduction to various musical instruments with bright, cheerful music backed by broad smiles.

“Kids need that energy,” Sanabria said. “They get so excited, and we feed off that energy from the audience. We perform only for kids and families. Their excitement is so contagious. It’s not that we dumb it down, but we tap into that childlike energy.”

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On X @danarts.