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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
Children check out the activities at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
A child receives a free backpack at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
Children pet an animal on the Shar-Itt Petting Farm "farm bus" at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
Children check out the activities at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
A child receives a free backpack at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
Children play gamses at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
Children receive free backpacks at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
A child plays a game at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
A child plays a game at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
Girls pet an animal in the Shar-Itt Petting Farm "farm bus" at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
Children play games at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
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Photo by Loyd McIntosh
A child poses for a photo with workers at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
Dozens of children and parents enjoyed a day of fun and games during the inaugural Back to School Outdoor Festival at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex on Saturday, Aug. 3.
Sponsored by the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest, each child in attendance was provided complimentary school supplies and a backpack, in addition to an array of activities, including field games, a bounce house, the Shar-Itt Petting Farm “Farm Bus,” and music by children’s entertainer Andrew Best.
The event also included Kona Ice, free pizza from Domino’s and support from the Vestavia Belles, a civic volunteer group made up of Vestavia Hills High School sophomore, junior and senior girls.
Library in the Forest Director Taneisha Tucker said the Back to School Outdoor Festival is an opportunity to promote the library to people living in some of Vestavia Hills’ hard-to-reach communities. While the library at 1221 Montgomery Highway is convenient for people living along U.S. 31, Tucker said residents living in Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights find it more difficult to access.
She hopes this and future events will encourage more people to take advantage of the library’s resources.
"This is a first for our library, and we're really excited about it,” Tucker said. “What we want to do is make sure that all of our service areas — Cahaba Heights, Liberty Park, as well as Highway 31 — are all in touch with our library."
Among the resources on display is an interactive activity utilizing a small 3D printer from the library’s Makerspace department, which is a hands-on creative lab. Under the guidance of Makerspace coordinator Derek Anderson, students had the opportunity to see the technology up close.
'We have a variety of creative technologies, and we're showcasing the 3D printing today, which is our most-used resource in the Makerspace,” Anderson said.
"One thing we do hear often from folks is, “Oh, I didn't realize this was a resource that was there,” Anderson said. “So, this is about getting in front of people, bringing it to them, letting them know what resources they have available and trying to make it fun for them."
Vestavia Hills Library Board Vice Chairwoman Susan Swagler said it is an exciting time for the library and said the festival is an ideal way to celebrate the start of the new school year as well as to promote the library to everyone in the city.
“This is our library out meeting people where they are,” Swagler said. “It's such a special joyful time because all these kids are so excited to be going back to school, and we're excited to be a part of them going back to school. … Our library is so vibrant, and it's just such a cool place to be you no matter the age."
The Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest will host a second Back to School Outdoor Festival at Kelly Park in Cahaba Heights on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 to 11 a.m.
