Shell Factory to hold Memorial Day event
The Shell Factory has seen many of its newer events, such as St. Patrick’s Day and Easter celebrations, grow immensely, and the family destination is hoping to continue the trend on Monday, May 25, when it hosts its second annual Memorial Day cookout.
Last year’s event was very successful for not only locals, but also for the remaining snowbirds. Rick Tupper, marketing director and CFO at the Shell Factory, said he hoped the get double the number of people this year, as he did with the previous celebrations.
“Everything we’ve done has doubled in size. More of the families are coming aboard as we’ve advertised on Telemundo and other areas,” Tupper said. “We used to cater events for adults, but now do so for families. We hope more people stay local and come to the Shell Factory.”
The event will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature a barbecue cookout menu including hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage & peppers and a beer tent. There also will be entertainment with Chuck Peterson, who has performed there on Friday nights.
The event won’t be as solemn as most Memorial Day events, as the main focus will be on families, which will be enticed with a special fun park package and fun games for the kids.
“We’re going to have a Hula Hoop contest, three-legged race, sack race, with the highlight being the watermelon eating contest,” Tupper said. “It was big last year.”
There will also be 2-for-1 pricing at the Nature Park, with some of the animals such as Moo the Cow perhaps coming out to greet customers, and 10 percent off all items in The Beach Shack.
That’s just the beginning. On May 30, the Shell Factory will host 80 foster children and provide free admission to the Nature Park as well as hamburgers and hot dogs, paid for by the Nature Park Foundation.
“These kids go to the nature park then go tell their parents about it and they bring the kids back. It’s a win-win for everybody,” Tupper said.