SHELBURNE — An estimated 200 local residents turned out for the 70th annual Shelburne Grange Fair Saturday to celebrate the town’s heritage and the work of farmers, artists and craftspeople.
Residents ranging from 4 to older than 90 put their talents on display, exhibiting fruits, vegetables, baked goods, knitted projects and photography in Fellowship Hall at 17 Little Mohawk Road.
“My passion for this fair is the exhibit hall and encouraging people to show off what they did this summer,” said Paula Brault, chairwoman of the Shelburne Grange Fair.
Brault said the fair offers youth a great way to start exhibiting in a small setting, giving them the confidence they need to enter their work at larger events like the Franklin County Fair. The fair included more than 500 exhibits, which Brault said is a low number due to drought that destroyed many local crops.
The event, which was held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., also included a sold-out barbeque chicken dinner, a flea market, a 4-H pedal tractor pull, a corn-husking competition, children’s games, music, clowns and a gold panning demonstration.
Pocket Lady Penny, a fair favorite for the past 36 years, carried children’s toys and games in 30 deep apron pockets. In exchange for a children’s game ticket, children can select a pocket and win a prize.
Over the years, Pocket Lady Penny has become a fair tradition and even a local celebrity.
“I can be in the grocery store and a kid will say ‘Hey! It’s the Pocket Lady!’” said Penny Novack, the Pocket Lady.
The fair itself is a staple event of Shelburne and is seen as the last official gathering of the summer, providing a family-oriented, laid back environment, Novack said.
“The kids that were little kids (when I started as the Pocket Lady) have grown up and have their own kids,” she said.
State Rep. Steve Kulik remembers coming to the fair for the first time in 1993 while campaigning, and making plenty of community connections.
“It’s always such a welcoming atmosphere here,” he said, applauding fair volunteers for working to keep Shelburne’s agricultural heritage alive.
“To keep those traditions going is not easy,” Kulik said. “It takes a lot of work.”
“It’s just harder and harder to do it,” Brault agreed, citing a need for volunteer help. “So when we meet a milestone like the 70th anniversary, it’s very exciting.”
Brault said the fair began in 1946, as a Wednesday night event featuring dinner and flower exhibits. Over the years, they’ve added entertainment, a flea market and more exhibits.
“Every chairperson has added something to it that enhances the fair,” she said.
To congratulate Brault and fair organizers on the event’s 70th year, Kulik presented the Shelburne Grange Fair with a citation from the House of Representatives. The fair also received a citation from the Senate.
Brault said she would like to recruit elementary school children to get involved in the fair in order to keep it alive, and would always welcome more volunteers.
“I wish the Grange Fair another 70 successful years,” Kulik said.