Let the good times roll at Alabama’s first Mega-Event: Bamarama
This is a guest post written by HQ’s Community Volunteer Support Manager Jessie Maxwell.
Geocaching HQ Lackeys attend dozens of Mega and Giga-Events around the world, shaking hands, sharing stories of adventure, and of course, geocaching! jtcoffee is the Community Volunteer Support Manager at Geocaching HQ. She recently traveled to Alabama to attend the Mega-Event, BAMARAMA 2023 (GC9TB1Z). Here’s her summary of the Event.
Have you ever dreamed of hosting a giant geocaching Event? Some geocachers in Gulf Shores did and, with true community effort, the first Mega in Alabama was born!
For many in the northern hemisphere, a warm day in February is hard to find but, in Gulf Shores, the stage for Bamarama was set by white sandy beaches and bright skies.
Event hosts were going for a “summer camp vibe” which meant there were lots of activities, beautiful weather, and the chance to become new friends with everyone you met. This year, the Event coincided with Mardi Gras, so there were beads for all.
The week kicked off with side-events held at unique locations, highlighting fun caches to find in the swamps (watch out for alligators) and famous watering holes.
We love to see local businesses partner with Mega-Event hosts to welcome geocachers to town—and Gulf Shores was a perfect example. A local brewery even created a special brew called “Bamarama,” complete with unique, trackable, hand-designed labels. Another event used an Adventure to help attendees determine the secret code word for entry. The creativity was so much fun to see!
Once the Mega-Event day arrived, geocachers were met with lots of possibilities:
- unique gadget caches on a picturesque sandy beach
- ice breaker games that encouraged conversation
- lots of opportunities to win fun raffle prizes
Bamarama was a great example of what is possible when geocachers come together to collaborate and celebrate their local community. We’re so glad we got to attend!
