Babypalooza comes back to Hoover for 2019 expo, party

The Babypalooza baby and maternity expo is headed to the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex for its 14th year in the Birmingham-Hoover area.

The event, held in recent years at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, is slated for Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama as the main sponsor.

It is primarily geared for first-time pregnant moms and first-time dads, but it is designed to help anyone who is having a baby, taking care of a baby or celebrating the arrival of a baby, said Cecilia Pearson, the founder and CEO of Babypalooza.

There will be at least 50 vendors who specialize in maternity and baby products, but there also will be a plethora of seminars and activities, Pearson said.

There will be prenatal and postnatal medical seminars from Grandview Medical Center, pediatric health information from Children’s of Alabama, information about setting up a baby registry, a baby shower idea area, 3D/4D ultrasound and gender reveal studio, Mom Makers craft bazaar with baby products, an app-based scavenger hunt, online bingo, games and prizes, Pearson said.

“We’ll have thousands of dollars worth of prizes,” she said.

For dads, there is a Daddy Olympics, where the dads compete to change diapers on a doll, properly swaddle a baby and answer trivia questions about baby care. Demonstrations on baby wearing, which teach the proper way to put on and use a baby carrier, also are popular with dads, Pearson said. 

Counselors also will be available to help moms and dads identify post-partum depression.

Normally, the Birmingham area Babypalooza draws 4,000 to 5,000 people, Pearson said.

Admission is free, and a food court will be available for food purchases