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Bluff Park Folklore Center
The Hoover Folklore Center
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Photos by Debbie Burtnett.
0614 Folklore center
Local children take a trip back in time at the Folklore Center.
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Bluff Park Art Show
As Bluff Park puts on one of her finest shows this time of year, “always the first Saturday in October,” it is fitting that the nearby Folklore Center, with its rich Alabama history, would become a part of the day’s affairs as well.
According to Hoover Historical Society member and Folklore Center volunteer Pam Thompson, the group wanted to engage art show visitors with an activity that would engage even the youngest in the crowd.
Enter the Itty Bitty Scavenger Hunt.
The event, which will take place during the Folklore Center’s open house from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., is the brainchild of retired Hoover teacher Peggy Patton. Meeting with area teachers who cover Alabama history to inform them about the existence and purpose of the Folklore Center inspired her idea to develop a photo scavenger hunt as a way to spark the interest and academic curiosity of young art show patrons.
The hunt, named “Stinson’s Secrets” for the original cabin owners, features 24 images. For the youngest patrons, there is also a nine-image hunt called Zoom.
“This is an activity children can do with their parents,” Thompson said. “As they search for the images, they will become in interested in the larger object of which it is a part.”
Hunt items can be found both on the grounds of the Folklore Center and inside the cabin.
On the day of the event, volunteers with information about the cabin and storytellers will be stationed around the property, Thompson said.
“Visitors can explore at their own pace and ask questions,” she said, adding that copies of the hunt will be available.
While the scavenger hunt is purely educational and not a competition, Thompson said she hopes patrons will make it a part of their art show experience for the love of learning more about the history of the state and the immediate area.
“We hope to expose more people from Hoover to the lifestyle of the people living in the area in the 1800s.”
Outside of the scavenger hunt, the Folklore Center is available for classroom tours upon request. Contact the Hoover Historical Society at info@hooverhistoricalsociety.org or visit hooverhistoricalsociety.org for more.
Bluff Park Art Show
Saturday, Oct. 4
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Bluff Park Community Center
The show features the works of more than 140 artists, a bake sale, pit barbecue and live music.
Artists are invited to submit one piece of their work to win prizes in several categories. The winner will receive $3,500 and the Bluff Park Art Association Permanent Collection Purchase Award.
