MUSIC FOR KIDS: Musician Laurie Berkner gives an encore performance at the 40th Annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning on July 28. (Photo by Jayme Thornton)

Princeton native Laurie Berkner will return for an encore performance at the 40th Annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning.

Berkner will give a family show at 1:30 p.m. on the festival’s opening day, Friday, July 28, at Solberg Airport, 39 Thor Solberg Road, Whitehouse Station.

“I am so honored to have been asked to perform at the NJ Lottery Festival of Ballooning this year as part of the 40th Anniversary Celebration,” said Berkner. “It is always such an amazing event and I’m sure this year is going to be particularly fantastic as we all celebrate this impressive milestone together.”

Berkner was the Festival’s first-ever kids’ concert headliner in 2017. A pioneer in children’s music, she celebrates the 25th anniversary of the release of her second album, Buzz Buzz, throughout 2023. At her Balloon Festival show, Berkner will perform songs from the album including “Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz)” and “Pig On Her Head,” along with hits “Victor Vito,” “We Are The Dinosaurs,” “Rocketship Run,” and “The Goldfish (Let’s Go Swimming),” and more recent fan favorites like “Superhero,” “Waiting for the Elevator,” and “Chipmunk at the Gas Pump.”

As a special treat, Berkner will also sing some of her newest singles from 2023 like “My Bunny Goes Hop” and “Wash It.” Her concerts showcase an array of tunes that encourage kids and grownups alike to get up and dance. Kids should plan to bring their dancing shoes and a stuffed animal (for their heads). Tickets are $39-$54; a limited number of $85 tickets including a Meet and Greet with Berkner are available. For more information, visit balloonfestival.com or call (973) 882-5464.