Hooverfest

Hooverfest

AugustHooverfest celebrates the August 10, 1874, birthday of former President Herbert Hoover. The event is hosted by the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association of West Branch, Iowa. Hooverfest includes arts and crafts, stage shows, live musical entertainment, a memorial service, and fireworks. The Hoover Presidential Library is situated on a national historic site that includes Hoover's birthplace, his burial site, the library housing the official papers of his administration, and a Quaker meeting house.
A special Hooverball tournament is also held during Hooverfest. Hooverball was invented by White House physician Joel T. Boone as a way to help President Hoover stay fit. The game combines elements from tennis, volleyball, and medicine ball. It is played on a 66-foot by 30-foot court with a volleyball net and either a four-pound or six-pound medicine ball. Teams of two to four players compete against each other. Scoring is the same as in tennis. The game is credited with helping Hoover keep his weight under control. Once popular with the White House staff even after Hoover left office, the game has become less popular in recent years.
CONTACTS:
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association
P.O. Box 696
West Branch, IA 52358-0696
800-828-0475; fax: 319-643-2391
www.hooverassociation.org/hooverfest.html