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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Kevin Stewart of the Mallard Lake subdivision in Hoover, Alabama, walks with his 5-year-old daughter, Kinsley Stewart, as she rides a pony at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Thousands of people came out for the 2022 Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Jessica Rainer and her daughter, Amelia Rainer, of Riverchase ride one of the carnival rides at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Prisah Grover of the Ross Bridge community breaks a board with a kick at the Action Martial Arts booth at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Jason Vermeer of the Oak Mountain community jumps on an inflatable children's activity at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Deepika Roshan and her children, Lakshay and Magizhini ,stop by the Mountaintop Community Church booth at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Dawn Bridges of Hoover, Alabama, sits with her daughter Maeley Bridges and friend Elin Newsom as the girls eat icees at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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This 10-foot-wide applie pie was served for free at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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A representative for Crunch Fitness leads a yoga demonstration at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Ryan Centini of Chelsea, Alabama, ordered this polish dog and potato salad from Krazy Good Barbecue at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Ryan and Kerry Centini and their children, Trenton and Kimber, of Chelsea, Alabama, eat lunch during Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Ben and Stephanie Barlow and their children, Matthew and Caroline, check out vehicles at the Dixie Vintage Antique Automobile Club show at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Kids check out vehicles at the Dixie Vintage Antique Automobile Club at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Shayla Carter sings a song at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Annah Oigo of the Rocky Ridge community takes a photo of her children, Bernoulli and Bernice Mokaya, at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Nivea Howard, Kameron Winston and Amya Howard of Midfield, Alabama, eat some free apple pie and ice cream at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Seth Watts of Shred-it helps a couple unload paper for shredding at Celebrate Hoover Day in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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A woman carries a box of paper for shredding at Celebrate Hoover Day in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Grayson Perkins of the Altadena community takes a turn down a slide at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Shayla Carter sings a song at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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People stop by some of the food trucks at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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People line up for children's pony rides at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Nael Panjwani pets a goat in the petting zoo at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Thousands of people came out for the 2022 Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Children ride a carnival ride at Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, April 20, 2022.
Thousands of people flooded into Veterans Park on Saturday for the 2022 Celebrate Hoover Day.
Several attendees commented they were glad to have the event back in full swing for the first time in three years.
The annual event, which includes live entertainment, kids’ carnival rides and activities, food and a car show, was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and some amenities, such as the inflatable activities for kids and the 10-foot-wide apple pie, were dropped last year for the same reason.
Dawn Bridges, who lives in a nearby neighborhood, brought her 10-year-old daughter and one of her daughter’s friends Saturday. “We love this every year,” Bridges said. “We appreciate the city doing this.”
The girls said they especially liked the carnival rides and animals.
The celebration started at 11 a.m. with a ceremony to dedicate new brick pavers in the Veterans Plaza in honor of five veterans from the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Veterans honored this year included Mo “Buzz” Williams of Cephas “Joe” Huffman of the Navy, Alfred Monacelli and Rubin Wade of the Army and Glenn Till Sr. of the Marine Corps.
There now are 344 engraved pavers in the plaza but many more bricks available for engraving, said Brittany Callaway, the city of Hoover’s events coordinator.
Live music Saturday was provided by Shayla Carter and students from the Tuned & Brave Vocal Studio, and Crunch Fitness led a group yoga workout from the stage.
The children’s activities included carnival rides, inflatables, martial arts board-breaking, a petting zoo and pony rides.
The Dixie Vintage Antique Automobile Car Club put on a car show with about 170 vehicles in it, with proceeds from entry fees benefiting the First Light emergency shelter for women and children and the Helena Middle School girls softball team.
Food vendors included MELT, Devil Dawg’s Concessions, Krazy Good Barbecue, Urban Pops, Kona Ice and Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee.
The Hoover police and fire departments also had specialty equipment and vehicles on display.
