SHELBURNE — The Shelburne Grange Fair is back this weekend to provide more “hometown fun,” in the words of organizer Melanie Thorpe.
On Saturday, Aug. 23. the 77th annual Grange Fair will be held at Fellowship Hall, 17 Little Mohawk Road. The event is free to attend and festivities will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“It’s a nice day,” Thorpe said. “It’s relaxing and fun.”
Thorpe said this year’s event will include many of the same activities and attractions as previous events, such as an obstacle course, slime making and children’s games, and an exhibit hall featuring works of local artisans, crafters, gardeners and farmers. This year’s event will also have a new firefighting game run by the Shelburne Fire Department.
“New this year, we’ll have a hose-down house where people can try to put out a new a fire,” Thorpe said. “It’ll be something new and different. People can try to be a firefighter for the day.”
Fair attendees will also be able to meet snakes, lizards and other reptiles from nonprofit reptile rehabilitators Morphs & Milestones, and try their hand at weaving with The Weavers Guild of Springfield.
Thorpe said the fair will also offer live music. At noon, local musician Dusti Dufresne will take the stage, and at 10 a.m., Rob Fletcher will sing a mix of rock and pop classics.
“As one of our musical acts, we have Rob Fletcher. He’s played at Woodstock and has opened and played for many other big names and Grammy nominees,” Thorpe said. “We’re excited to have him.”
Thorpe said that while this is her first year involved in the planning and organizing of the Shelburne Grange Fair, she has been volunteering in the exhibit hall and attending the event for years. Her favorite part is catching up with everyone and seeing how they’ve kept busy over the year. In the exhibit hall, people can peruse displays of canned goods; sewn, knitted and crocheted works; flowers; fruits and vegetables; artwork; and more.
“My favorite part is walking through the hall and seeing what people have made throughout the year,” Thorpe said.
She added that some participants are donating their exhibit hall entries for an auction, which will be held at the end of the day.
If attendees work up an appetite, Thorpe said there will be a concession stand with breakfast and lunch options, and from noon to 1:30 p.m., the Shelburne Grange will hold its annual chicken barbecue.
“We have an incredibly delicious chicken barbecue,” Thorpe said. “For only $15, you get half a chicken, corn on the cob, coleslaw and a roll.”
In the morning, before the cooks start prepping for the barbecue, children are invited to participate in a corn-shucking contest. Thorpe said the contest is fun for the kids and helps the cooks prep the corn.
For more information, visit shelburnegrange.org.
