The Southwest How-To Fest started this morning at 10:00 a.m. at the Southwest Regional Library located at 9725 Dixie Highway. The ElderServe Line Dancers took center stage to begin their demonstration, and attendees took a mental note of their moves.
A few children would walk up to participate, and eventually guests and library staff took the stage with the line dancers to show off what they had learned. I have to admit that it was pretty great to see this entire group shake it to Wobble Baby. I got part of the dance on video!
I moved over to the children's stage to check out the smart table, which is just one of the many pieces of advanced technology offered at the Southwest branch. Kelly Creagh, staff member of the Louisville Free Public Library, was surrounded by children who wanted to "paint" on the giant touch screen in front of them. I actually told Kelly that I wanted one because I thought it was so neat.
The Kentucky Humane Society was at the center stage at 11:30 a.m. for a session on "how to teach your dog tricks." The demonstrator—Katy, a Pet Help Line Specialist for the KY Humane Society—was showing simple tricks with a clicker, a yellow mat, tiny pieces of cheese, and an adorable pug named Ayla. The pup walked up to me at one point during the show, and I just had to bend down to pet her!
I popped in on a few classes because I couldn't pick only one to attend. I split my time between "how to create a Vision Board," and "how to find great hikes in Louisville." Jodi Tingle-Willis from Supreme Peace Yoga hosted the Vision Board class, and guests were seated with paper, markers, scissors, glue, and magazine pages. It was an inspirational session where people could essentially create a visual representation of their goals in an artistic collage. It's a concept that I definitely want to try. Additionally, Larry Hilton from Jefferson Memorial Forest discussed the different locations around the city where great hikes could be found. I have only been hiking once, but I suppose I can take the information that I gathered today and plan for another one...when the weather is warm again, of course!
I ventured to the community room as well to check out the "how to Zumba" demo. Women were sporting athletic apparel, and Meagan Nicola Cooper was leading the group to the song Jai Ho. The routine had a fast pace, but it looked like so much fun, and a large group of Louisville Free Public Library staff members joined in on the session, too.
I learned so many great skills this morning. It was difficult to choose which class to attend since several took place at the same time. However, it was a great opportunity to pick up so many different abilities in one location. I now know how to shake it in line dancing, operate a smart board, teach a dog simple tricks, create a vision board, locate awesome hikes, and bust a move in Zumba. I didn't capture this, but I even learned how to trace my family history from Joe Hardesty, LFPL's Kentucky History and Genealogy Librarian. Oh, and I was snapped in a photo while looking at the event listing brochure! Make sure to follow along with the Louisville Free Public Library on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with the hashtag #SWHowToFest to see many more photos from today.
