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Lions Club steps in to rescue Fall Fair

The 2017 edition of the long-running event was scheduled to be cancelled, but will now go ahead as planned.
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The annual Ashcroft and District Fall Fair was scheduled to be cancelled in 2017

The Ashcroft and District Fall Fair held its AGM on January 17, after putting out an urgent call for more members to ensure that the fair would be held in 2017. When only two new people stepped forward to volunteer, Fall Fair committee president Jessica Clement suggested putting the fair on hiatus this year, then reconsidering it in 2018; but committee member Kat Chatten wondered if there was another solution.

Chatten, who is also a member of the Ashcroft and District Lions Club, let Lions vice-president Darlene Daily know about the turn of events. The Lions bring their food wagon to the fair each year, and it is one of the club’s biggest fundraisers; so Daily and her husband Gordon, the club’s president, asked Lions members if they would be willing to step in and help with the 2017 fair.

“It seemed like an easy solution to a difficult problem,” says Chatten. “It seemed like a popular suggestion; within 30 minutes we had eight or nine volunteers.”

Chatten, who is now vice-president of the Fall Fair committee, says that the original members of the group stayed on in their previous capacities, and that the Lions will be helping to organize the event and carry out the work.

While this year’s event—which takes place on Sunday, September 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Drylands Arena—will be substantially the same as in recent years, a few changes are planned.

“We’re hoping to get more community involvement with the entertainment, and have demonstrations from local groups,” says Chatten. “We’re also hoping for more fair-themed entertainment, such as traditional fair games and a petting zoo.” They also hope to have more events taking place outdoors, with a second stage there for more entertainment.

Local vendors and organizations will be able to have tables at the event, and the Lions and Rotary will be back with their food wagons. Chatten says admission will once again be by donation, and that all the display categories from last year will be back. “Anyone with last year’s Fall Fair booklet can take a look at the categories and start preparing their entries for this year.” Copies of last year’s booklet are available from Chatten, who can be contacted by phone at (250) 457-0732, or by email at attackkat@hotmail.ca.

The Ashcroft and District Fall Fair has existed, in various forms, since 1888. Last year’s event was the first one by donation, and attendance almost doubled over the 2015 numbers. The number of entries also increased by 117 over 2015.

Volunteers are still needed; anyone who would like to help out can contact Chatten, or committee president Jessica Clement at (250) 457-7128.