Veterans honored, vendors present at Celebrate Hoover Day
Published 9:20 am Thursday, May 5, 2022
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By EMILY SPARACINO | Staff Writer
HOOVER – Thousands of people attended the city of Hoover’s annual celebration, Celebrate Hoover Day, on Saturday, April 30 at Veterans Park.
The event started with the Veterans Memorial Paver Dedication Ceremony honoring veterans who have had pavers installed in their honor at the park.
Attendees also were able to meet numerous vendors, visit the Dixie Vintage Antique Car Club’s car show, listen to live entertainment, take part in different amusements and sample servings of the event’s trademark giant apple pie.
“It is the perfect day to be out at the park,” Director of Parks and Recreation Erin Colbaugh said midway through the event. “We were able to bring back our giant apple pie that you can have some ice cream with.”
As in previous years, the event also featured a variety of kids’ activities and community shredding services.
The first Celebrate Hoover Day was held when the city opened the park in 2007, and this year’s event included most of the activities offered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Colbaugh said.
“We did not have one in 2020, and it was a little bit downscaled last year because at this point last year, there were still some concerns,” Colbaugh said. “Out here it’s 82 acres, so you can certainly social distance if needed, but we did eliminate some of the close-contact activities.”
Colbaugh said attendance is difficult to track at Celebrate Hoover Day since it is a free-admission event, but it usually draws anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 people.
For more information about the event or the veterans’ pavers, which can be purchased throughout the year, visit Hooveral.org.