By Elizabeth Connolly
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Despite being a particularly hot day, dozens of children gathered with their grown-ups at Westwood Public Library (WPL) last Monday, July 24th, to see Mr. Vinny’s Bubble Show. Mr. Vinny, a.k.a. Vinny Lovegrove, has been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, and it shows both in the way his name draws a crowd and in the smiles on the faces of everyone in that crowd.
The hour-long show was advertised as being for all ages, and it truly was. Kids, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents sat in chairs in the shade, relaxed on blankets, or lounged on the grass as Mr. Vinny expertly guided them through bubble fun on the big field behind the library. He used a gigantic home-made bubble wand that he dipped into bubble mix and waved around to make enormous bubbles that were destined to be gleefully popped.
To try to reduce the size of the popping crowd and keep any collision incidents at bay, Mr. Vinny set up a line made out of rope to separate himself and the bubbles from the rest of the audience. Then smaller groups were called up at different times to participate. For example, he called out every month of the year and welcomed individuals with birthdays in that month to head on up to chase, jump, and pop the bubbles.
“Yesterday I was on a boat, heading through Cuttyhunk Harbor,” began Lovelace, in response to being asked what it’s like to be so popular among kids and families. “I was with my dad and my daughter, and all of a sudden I hear ‘HEY, MR. VINNY!’ It was awesome. I meet such great people. I love what I do.”
You can find Mr. Vinny and a list of his upcoming events on Facebook. Additionally, WPL is home to an array of fantastic activities like this one. Head on over to www.WestwoodLibrary.org to view their full events calendar.