DOVER — Summer’s heat was tempered in the air-conditioned ballroom of Noble’s Pond on Friday at the annual Thrive Dover-Senior Life After 55 event.

The gathering — presented by the Delaware State News in partnership with Noble’s Pond and sponsored by Bayhealth — offered older adults a free open house of food vendors, exhibitors, giveaways and activities.

“Thrive Dover offers seniors a variety of opportunities to talk to local experts in a relaxed, one-on-one setting about a variety of topics, from Medicare to health care to avoiding phone scams,” said Heather Cregar, Delaware State News’ director of marketing and promotions.

The event was a good base for people looking to learn a lot in a short amount of time. Topics included finance, fraud prevention, medicine, self-care, hobbies, beauty and much more.

“We’re trying to learn what we have in Delaware,” said Everton Marcus, who is moving to the First State and needed to learn about medical and health options. He also picked up some information on voter registration.

Further, the event attracted people looking to spend the day away from the mid-90s heat. “We were looking for fun things to do,” said Jen Rachow, who recently moved to Delaware to help care for her mother, who made her way around the exhibition floor with her daughter.

Dawn Morris, a coordinator at the Modern Maturity Center, attended to scope out useful programs for her clients. “We’re out there for the community. Anything I can bring in” is good information for the center’s visitors, who range from adult day care participants to caregivers of all ages.

Dance demos are always a highlight of the day. The Stepping Seniors gave a performance, while the First State Steppers got guests and even vendors to join them on the dance floor. Cooking and flower-arranging how-tos also were part of the day.

Volunteerism was a big theme for several booths, like the Camden-Wyoming Rotary Club. Debra Taylor joined the organization through work, and “even though I retired, I found it so satisfying to continue.”

Ron Kahn joined Rotary to hear from people outside of his profession. “I was getting to meet people that I read about in the State News. … It was a good opportunity to get involved in the community,” he said.

Some Thrive guests came specifically to visit Noble’s Pond (a 55-plus housing development) and tour the model home village.

“It’s a really exciting time for that age cohort — 55 and better,” said Beth Haynes, director of marketing with Regal Builders, the developer of Noble’s Pond. “It’s a time when they really get to start a new chapter, where they can still maintain and be close to the family but, even more importantly, get to explore their passions and hobbies and create the home of their dreams. … They’re in a community with similar interests and life experiences, and there’s definitely a camaraderie that forms because of that.”

Read the “Dover Thrive” program book at BaytoBayNews.com/SpecialSections and look for the next event in July 2023.