The iconic Eastside Cannery building will attract even more attention on April 1st and 2nd, especially during the nighttime hours.  That's because the structure will be illuminated in blue. "Light It Up Blue" is a nationwide effort to encourage businesses and residences to light up their structures in blue light in recognition of those families affected by autism.  The Eastside Cannery, on Boulder Highway is able to change the colors displayed on the building quite easily.  There are roughly 16,000 LED lights on the exterior of the building which can be programmed to change colors or illuminate one particular shade of color.  The blue lights will be visual Friday, April 1st and Saturday April 2nd, which is World Autism Awareness Day.  Every 1 in 110 children is affected by the autism disorder.  More information on Light It Up Blue can be found at www.lightitupblue.org and www.autismspeaks.org.

Springs Preserve will host its second annual Día del Niño festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 9.

The festival offers fun for children of all ages, including clowns and magicians, dancing and singing groups, and interactive games including a live soccer match, as well as traditional Mexican food and drink, hands-on arts and crafts workshops and a magical theatrical rendition of the "Wizard of Oz." Children can also participate in Telemundo TV-39's "sustainable" talent show.

Celebrated worldwide at various times throughout the year, notably in countries such as Mexico, Día del Niño is all about the little ones. Visit www.springspreserve.org or call 822-7700 for more information. Tickets can be purchased in advance online and will cost $1 less than at the door.

Escobedo Middle School and Legacy High School's Chamber Ensemble claimed top honors at the "Notes to Grow" music competition for local middle and high schools Saturday at Leavitt Middle School.

Both schools received $8,000 for their first-place finishes. A total of $36,000 in prize money sponsored by Las Vegas area Walmart and Sam's Club stores was divided among seven area schools’ music programs.

Local middle school and high school musical groups submitted applications and performance video for the contest for online evaluation and public voting.