Smokey Bear turns 66 years old this year and the Cradle of Forestry will be hosting his birthday party on Saturday, August 7, from 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The fire prevention bear will help cut the birthday cake and meet and greet his friends during the celebration. Carolina Mountain Naturalists will present a live animal program at 1:30. Admission fee is $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for youth ages 4-15 and America the Beautiful and Golden Age pass holders. Children under four years old are admitted free. Activities during Smokey Bear’s Birthday Party include: music, making birthday cards, fire fighting equipment demonstrations, Smokey Bingo, Pin the Pail on the Campfire, prize drawings, birthday cake, and of course, Smokey Bear from 11:00 to 1:00. Meet native reptiles, amphibians, and birds at 1:30. Party favor bags for children include a little book “The True Story of Smokey Bear” and Smokey memorabilia. Families are welcome to pack a picnic. The Forest Bounty Café offers light snacks, pizza, ice cream, and drinks. Throughout the day guests are invited to enjoy all the Cradle of Forestry has to offer. In the Forest Discovery Center a 30 minute film, "There's Magic at the Cradle" follows a young girls journey to caring about the forest; an 18-minute film portrays the story behind the Cradle. Visitors can explore the 15 hands-on exhibits in the Forest Discovery Center, including the firefighting helicopter simulator and the scavenger hunt. A collection of Smokey artwork by Rudy Wendelin, famed Smokey Bear illustrator who created Smokey’s image as we know him today, is on display. Smokey’s party, the Forest Discovery Center, and the Cradle’s two interpretive trails are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. Check out the Adventure Zone indoor and outdoor activities, too. Smokey Bear has been a symbol of fire safety and fire prevention since 1944. The purpose of the Smokey program is to create and maintain public awareness about the need to prevent unplanned, human-caused wildland fires. Smokey's task is becoming increasingly difficult. In years past it was a challenge for his message to reach traditional visitors to the forest. Now across the nation fire officials are faced with getting his wildfire prevention message to an increasing number of people who live in and around these areas. This "wildland-urban interface" poses a double threat; from people living in or near forests who may accidentally start fires that spread to the wildlands as well as from accidental fires started in the wild that spread to nearby residences. In either case, the result is potentially disastrous and especially tragic because it is preventable. Remember Smokey's message, "only YOU can prevent wildfire."