“On your mark…get set…crawl.” For over 30 years, Apples, Ltd. in Poplarville has sponsored the annual baby crawl event during the Blueberry Jubilee held in Poplarville.
A few years after the Blueberry Jubilee took off, Bettye Applewhite decided to participate by hosting a baby crawl in the parking lot behind the store, owner Pam LaHaye said.
The free event starts at 10:30 a.m. June 10, just after the carpets are rolled out into lanes. During the event, each baby races to a parent waiting on the other end, she said. Registration forms will be available that morning at the store.
As the race begins, parents stand on one side and hold the baby until the green light is given to place the baby down on the carpet. Another parent or adult waits on the other end, enticing the infant with anything they can, cookies, bottles, etc., LaHaye said.
“Some of them crawl, some of them cry,” she said.
But if any of them stand up and attempt to walk down the carpet, they’re immediately disqualified, LaHaye said.
First, second and third place winners will be awarded a trophy at the end of the race, she said.
After more than 30 years of competition, LaHaye said some of the past winners are now entering their own children into the event.
The event has grown each year to attract a large crowd, sometimes requiring multiple heats and crawl-offs to determine the fastest baby in Poplarville, she said.
“If you’ve never seen it, it’s a really fun event,” LaHaye said.