Nickelodeon extended its unmistakable mixture of colorful characters, interactive play and bright green slime into downtown San Diego with Fun Flows Here, a large-scale outdoor experience organized during San Diego Comic-Con 2026. Presented in partnership with The New Children’s Museum, the activation transformed Museum Park into an energetic family destination filled with live entertainment, games, creative workshops, photo opportunities and one of the television network’s most enduring traditions: getting completely covered in slime.

The activation was situated directly across the street from The New Children’s Museum, at 200 W. Island Avenue, placing it within walking distance of the San Diego Convention Center and the surrounding Comic-Con activities. Comic-Con International: San Diego 2026 officially ran from July 23 through July 26, following Preview Night on July 22. Fun Flows Here operated alongside the convention but remained outside its controlled perimeter, making it accessible to local families, downtown visitors and fans who did not possess a Comic-Con badge. Comic-Con International and Paramount Press Express confirmed the dates and location.

This distinction was central to the activation’s identity. While many major Comic-Con presentations require a badge, advance planning or time spent in long convention-center lines, Fun Flows Here was promoted as a free, drop-in experience. Visitors were welcome to stop by without remaining for an entire programming block. That flexible approach made the site particularly suitable for families with younger children, while its references to several generations of Nickelodeon programming gave older visitors their own nostalgic connection to the event.

A Live Stage Powered by Games, Music and Nickelodeon Characters

At the heart of Museum Park was an interactive stage hosted by Kids Imagine Nation, whose performers combined music, audience participation, games and character-inspired entertainment. The programming incorporated properties including PAW Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Thundermans and Star Trek: Scouts, allowing the stage to shift between preschool entertainment, superhero comedy, science-fiction adventure and the long-running appeal of the Ninja Turtles.

The mixture illustrated how broadly Nickelodeon was defining family entertainment at Comic-Con. Younger children could recognize characters from current programming, while parents and adult fans could reconnect with franchises that had accompanied earlier periods of their lives. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants and Avatar: The Last Airbender, in particular, have remained visible across television, movies, games, toys and collectibles, giving them relevance well beyond their original audiences.

Live DJ sets maintained the atmosphere between scheduled performances, while raffles, giveaways and surprise appearances added an element of unpredictability. Visitors could arrive expecting a craft activity or a photo and find a live performance already underway. That constantly changing rhythm helped the experience feel more like a compact outdoor festival than a conventional promotional display.

SpongeBob, Avatar and the Kids’ Choice Awards Become Photo Destinations

Several themed installations provided shareable photo and video opportunities inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Kids’ Choice Awards. Instead of simply displaying franchise artwork, the environments were designed to place visitors inside recognizable pieces of the Nickelodeon universe, turning guests into part of the visual composition.

These installations also demonstrated how an outdoor activation can continue long after a visitor leaves. Photographs and short videos taken at the site could circulate across social media, extending the event beyond Museum Park. The strategy was particularly effective for SpongeBob SquarePants, whose distinctive characters, colors and undersea imagery remain immediately identifiable even when encountered outside the context of an episode or movie.

Live animated character-drawing demonstrations added a more educational dimension. These sessions offered visitors a glimpse at how familiar animated personalities can be constructed from lines, shapes and expressive details. For children accustomed to seeing finished animation on a screen, watching a character emerge during a live drawing created a direct connection between artistic technique and popular entertainment.

Nickelodeon Our World Adds a Community-Focused Component

The program also included activities connected to Nickelodeon Our World, the network’s initiative encouraging children to understand their ability to contribute to their communities. Within an event dominated by games, characters and slime, the initiative provided a quieter form of participation based on empowerment and positive action.

Its presence broadened the activation’s purpose without separating it from the playful environment. Children could move between entertainment, creative experimentation and activities designed to show that small actions matter. This balance helped “Fun Flows Here” function as more than a collection of franchise advertisements, particularly through its collaboration with a museum whose programming is built around imagination and child-centered participation.

The location brought practical considerations. The New Children’s Museum itself was closed to the public from July 21 through July 26 and reopened on July 27, meaning the activation took place outdoors in Museum Park rather than inside the institution. The museum’s parking garage was also closed, and visitors were encouraged to carpool or use rideshare services. Museum Park was accessible through the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Green Line trolley and local bus routes. The New Children’s Museum published these visitor details.

A SpongeBob Family Movie Night Extends the Experience

A major component of the program arrived on Friday, July 24, when Museum Park hosted free screenings of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. The museum’s official calendar listed daytime programming from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., followed by an evening screening scheduled from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The New Children’s Museum’s screening listing confirms the Friday date and evening time.

The screening gave families an opportunity to return after the daytime games or remain downtown for a more relaxed conclusion to their Comic-Con schedule. It also provided a natural centerpiece for an activation in which SpongeBob SquarePants imagery already played an important role. After a day of slime-making, music and photographs, the open-air presentation transformed the park from an interactive playground into a communal movie venue.

The movie night reinforced the event’s cross-generational design. Children could enjoy the physical comedy and adventure associated with SpongeBob SquarePants, while adults familiar with the character’s long television history could share the experience with a younger generation. That combination of current family programming and established pop-culture recognition was one of the activation’s strongest assets.

An Accessible Celebration of Nickelodeon’s Multigenerational Appeal

By combining live performances, creative workshops, character drawing, music, giveaways, movie screenings and generous quantities of green slime, “Fun Flows Here” offered a broad alternative to the more tightly scheduled convention-floor experience. Its outdoor setting and free admission reduced two of the most significant barriers associated with Comic-Con: obtaining a badge and navigating the crowded convention center with children.

The activation’s most effective feature was its ability to serve different generations without dividing them into separate experiences. Children could engage with PAW Patrol and hands-on play, teenagers could photograph the themed installations, and adults could revisit SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Rather than treating nostalgia as a separate attraction, Nickelodeon placed it alongside current family programming.

“Fun Flows Here” ultimately turned Museum Park into a bright, messy and welcoming extension of SDCC 2026. The project demonstrated that a successful Comic-Con activation does not need to be enclosed behind convention doors. By opening the experience to the public, Nickelodeon and The New Children’s Museum created a space where families, local residents and visiting fans could participate in the city’s biggest pop-culture weekend—even if their only badge of honor was a fresh coating of green slime.

SDCC 2026 Event Recap: Nickelodeon’s Fun Flows Here
What: A free outdoor Nickelodeon experience featuring the Kids Imagine Nation interactive stage, franchise-inspired games, live performances, DJ sets, character-drawing demonstrations, raffles, giveaways, bubble play, make-your-own slime, themed photo installations and opportunities for selected visitors to be slimed.

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Photos and video 4K : Boris Colletier / Mulderville