Despite a blazing sun and sweltering temperatures, families crammed Main Street for Freedom Fest in the Heartland fun on Friday.

Children stood excitedly in long lines to play carnival games, flocked to the petting zoo to fawn over goats, rabbits, a rooster, a sheep, a mule, a camel and a llama, and waited anxiously to perform on the stage in front of their parents and grandparents.

It was a good time for all.

"It's great for kids. It's a really great thing to have for them," Jennifer VanBeek, of Austin, said while petting a rabbit at the zoo with her 3-year-old daughter, Madison. "The best part for us has been the petting zoo."

"I like the bunny best," Madison said, shyly. "We used to have a bunny named Ginger."

While petting zoo was teaming with children and parents vying for a chance to touch the animals, the stage down the street was attracting just as much attention.

Ciara Marshall, 10, and Whitney Reynolds, 9, were there to watch their friends, Alix LeBarron, 9 and Shelby LeBarron, 7 dance in performances by students at the Jane Taylor Academy of Dance. Ciara explained they also were at the festival to eat as she chewed on a slice of pizza.

Though Alix said her favorite part of the Freedom Fest had been performing the dance routine she's worked on since September, Shelby and Whitney said their favorite activity had been the water balloon fights which were part of the carnival games. The water balloons were especially nice "on hot days," Shelby explained.

However, Ciara said she'd enjoyed "looking at the stores," the most because "I like shopping."

For John Kestner, 12, the most exciting part of Freedom Fest was performing on stage in different activities. He said he was playing the Star Spangled Banner with one of his friend and also was performing in a skit because "I wanted to be in the Freedom Fest."

He said he wasn't nervous about playing in front of a large group of people because, like the rest of festival, "it's cool, it's fun."

Amanda L. Rohde can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at :mailto:amanda.rohde@austindailyherald.com