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September 7, 2007 23:06:19
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Skeena Valley Fall Fair
Well, this isn't a rave review... I've rarely missed a fall fair in all my years living here. I've also been to a good few Bulkley Valley fall fairs. Now, I'm not interested in beating down the hard working volunteers that put on the fair year after year. You deserve some applause.
But I'm a little concerned about what feels like a failing attempt to keep the fair alive. Year after year, enough people are scraped together to put the fair together. New members to the association don't seem to last long - in fact I've heard it several times now that the association asks for new blood and new ideas, but when a new idea is suggested the usual comeback is "but we've never done that before" or "we don't do that". And how's that going for you?
Now I know someone is likely going to want to point a finger at me and say, if you're not going to help, don't complain. But I think it's important for those of us in the general public who want to see this fair a success suggest what we'd like to see for events. And I know how hard it is to lead an association/club - been there!
I'd like to see the Loggers Sports and the Fair back together on the same weekend.
Return the Fair to the Labour Day long weekend - so many local families are traveling elsewhere mid-August. And it appears to me that this is your major chunk of visitors - the locals.
A talent show of somekind seems to be a great draw. How about a chilli cook-off. Or maybe instead a chowder cook-off.
I'd like to see more arts & crafts submissions. What happened to the quilters this year? Vacations? I used to do some crafting and even submitted some stuff years ago. Unfortunately, I haven't had time the past couple of years to work on my craft hobbies... but that's another story.
Maybe if part of admission ( I don't mind paying an extra dollar or two - but then I don't have kids to pay for) or part of the cost of renting a display booth was donated to a local charity each year? A local childrens fund... a youth group....
How about a "drive in" theatre one night? Hmmm. could run into legal problems with charging public to view a movie... well, I like the idea of the old fashioned drive in. Don't they have some "movies on the beach night" in Penticton in August? How does that go?
Maybe more advertising needs to be done for what the fair has to offer (via a table at the Farmer's Market?). Generally we're so busy with the day-to-day stuff that sometimes we don't think "hey, I could submit my new homemade sweater/sample of my homemade fruit wine in the Fair's competition" We need reminding...
I guess what I'm also getting at is - have you asked the public, your audience "what do you want to see? what do you want to do?" (Maybe you have in the newspapers and I've missed it - I rarely read all the details in the papers anymore). If you're running out of ideas on what to do at the fair (or heck, any club/business/service) - ask for public opinion...
Or maybe the fair should take a break for a year or two? I know that it's a great way to promote 4-H, but is it possible they can have their own little mini fair, or with... say with the Totem Saddle Club?
All right, that's my two cents.
Suzette
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