Children sat on the curb, popcicles in hand, mesmerized by the dancing and storytelling performed by members of the Morningstar Native American Dance Troupe. Other visitors mingled with community members who displayed their extensive collections of artifacts at the Museum of Peoples and Cultures annual block party on Saturday.
The goal of the party was to introduce children and members of the community to the science of archeology, said Kari Nelson, Curator of Education for the museum.
'We want to teach people about archeology and history through fun, related learning,' Nelson said.
Visitors were able to learn not only through displays but also many demonstrations such as basket weaving and bobbin lace making. Kids even tried their hands at a little pottery making.
Peggy Stavast, from Orem, has been making bobbin lace for almost 15 years and has been demonstrating at the block party for 10 years. To make the lace, she loops the threads around a series of pins in a pattern untraceable to the untrained eye. What results is lace trim for baby blessing dresses. It takes her about an hour to complete one inch of lace.
'Bobbin lace making came from all over Europe,' said Stavast. 'Each country had their own variation of it.'
She was joined by several other women and children in the demonstration.
This was Tottie and Andy Hatfield's first year attending the block party. They brought along their two small children.
They said they enjoyed the circle dance at the end of the Morningstar performance, in which all audience members were able to participate in.