Shell Factory holds Labor Day barbecue
A little morning rain did nothing to stop the Shell Factory from holding its second annual Old Fashioned Family BBQ on Labor Day.
If anything, the cool conditions made it perfect for families to come and enjoy all the games, food and attractions.
The event brought out the locals, but also families from outside the area, from Tampa to Naples. As the clouds dissipated and the sun came out, kids were signing up for all the contests and munching on goodies from ice cream to kettle corn.
In the end, the event was more popular than last year, in keeping up with the Shell Factory’s streak of improving on many of the new events it has added in recent years.
There were good deals to be had at the Shell Factory, where most everything was open. They included a family fun package at the fun park, two-for-one deals at the Nature Park, and discounts on select items in the store. If all else failed, they could play fireman as they toured the inside of a fire truck.
There was also a free health screening, courtesy of Maximized Living, a chiropractic company with four offices throughout Southwest Florida.
For Drs. Amy Schulz and Michael Halsell, it was all about giving back to the community.
“We go to local events and do health screenings for the community. We can do five to 10 events in a weekend. We get hundreds from the community to come out,” Schulz said. “We’re busy and this is how we get out in the community.”
It was more than sausage and peppers and hot dogs. There were all sorts of games, including a putting tournament and watermelon eating contests for kids and adults along with three-legged and sack races.
Perhaps the most fun was the hula hoop contest, where we saw two ways to master the event. Hayleigh Costello, 7, swung her hips fast and furious, with the hoop keeping up with her frenetic pace.
Natalie Holcombe, 8, took a slower, steadier approach, showing little effort as the hula hoop moved at a steady clip, never once allowing it to hit the ground.
Slow and steady won this day. Natalie won, with Hayleigh a close second, with each winning a hula hoop.
“I was doing it hard and fast and it kept going down, so I figured if I did it steady, it will stay up more,” Natalie said.
Hayleigh, who got her training from going to the Tampa Bay Rays games, where they have a professional hula hoop person, was in the area to see grandma and grandpa.