March 22, 2024: It's So Wackadoo! The Bluey Party

Friday: 9am-2pm

Supervisor:  Renee Kirchner

It was to be expected for a Bluey Party.  It was even predicted by the over 500 people turnout at the FLower Mound Public LIbrary Bluey Party the week before.  And so it was, Bluey is wackadoo!  This party crowd was a manageable hundred or so (it wasn’t Spring Break after all).  And the attendees were mostly the intended age range (also the “not Spring Break Effect”).  But it was a 1 hour marathon of excitement.  The event room was full with 3 different crafts plus a dance party.  The play area had been cleared out for carnival games.  Ashley and I had set up a tattoo camp.  The puppet stage became a photo shoot.  And the study tables were taken over by coloring sheets and crayons.  No station was ever empty and most maintained a steady line!  The parents were thankful that the crowds were not crazy and thanked the staff for not holding the event during Spring Break.  And a wackadoo good time was had by all.  

Large events like the Bluey Party are not held every week or even every month but they are hugely popular when they are held.  The degree of planning and preparation for such an event is high so the events are constrained by budget and staff.  The LPL staff typically makes their supplies such as props for the photo booth, carnival games, tattoos and stickers.  It can be quite detailed depending on the event.  For a staff of 4 librarians, 3 part time assistants, and sporadic teen volunteers, these large events must be executed with military precision!  We began an hour before the event by clearing the common areas and setting up the event room.  Since most of the areas could not be closed off until the time of the event, a lot of supplies were prepped and prepared for rollout at exactly 10am.  Setting up at any time before the official start time means that the start time is NOW!  The entire event went off without a hitch.  I had a constant line of willing and unwilling subjects for tattoos.  Most went on their hands although I did have one belly, one foot, and one forehead tattoo.  There was also a tattoo malfunction until I realized the child had given me a sticker instead of a tattoo!  I kept trying to make that tattoo work but it just wasn’t cooperating.  After I discovered the switch, I peeled off the sticker, stuck it on the kid, and voila, the happy customer ran away.  Another hour to clean up and move furniture back into place and Bluey had officially left the building.  The only evidence of his passing were the sweaty librarians and me (also very sweaty).