FLEETVILLE — Autumn is right around the corner, and the Fleetville Volunteer Fire Company will greet the season’s return with its annual Fleetville Fall Fair.
It will be at the fire company’s grounds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10.
It wouldn’t be Autumn without pumpkins, and the fair has plenty of them this year. The Great Produce Experience Farm Stand will bring mini pumpkins for children to decorate. Updating the apple and pie competition, this year’s contest will include all kinds of desserts that are either apple or pumpkin flavored or themed. It will be called the apple and pumpkin dessert competition. Like last year, it will be a blind tasting. Three people will judge the apple desserts and three others will judge pumpkin. Ribbons will be given to the best looking, best tasting and most creative. Registering a dessert can be anytime between 10 to 11:30 a.m. Judging begins at noon. People can purchase leftovers with a donation. The competition is run by Lisa and Scot Ross.
There will be many other sources of food. Eight food trucks, such as Mannings Mobile Ice Cream, will show up at the fair. Benton Township Lions Club will make meatball hoagies and have a gun raffle to raise funds. There will also be a chicken BBQ by the Fleetville Fire Company. The dinner will include chicken, potatoes, baked beans, Cole slaw, a bottle of water, and a roll from Texas Roadhouse. It will be run by volunteer Linda Bonczkiewicz. She collected clothing and supplies donated by the community for kids to decorate scarecrows. The fire company will have a beverage stand as well. Roasted corn by the Great Produce Experience Farm Stand will be available for purchase at $3 or 2 for $5.
The Fleetville Fall Fair will feature even more vendors than last year with a total of 165 vendors. They include wineries, cideries, and a moonshine vendor called Main Street Moonshine. All of the vendors will provide a raffle basket. There will be a photo booth by Paula Yunko Photography. There will be live music by DJ Donna Diva from 10 a.m. to noon, ENT Music Company from noon to 2 p.m., and Mace in Dickson from 2 to 6 p.m.
Factoryville Ambulance will be doing Stop the Bleeding CPR demonstrations.
The fair will have many animals as well. While dogs from Four Paws and a Tail will be performing tricks, the famous Bella the Brave cat from ANA Critters will make an appearance along with an alligator, snakes, a kunekune pig, sheep, and tortoises for a petting zoo.
Bella was given to Ana Hunter, owner of ANA Critters, by her friend who found her on the side of the road. Bella became famous from her many adventures, such as being the first cat at the New York City Comic Con as well as the first cat on the Schooner Hindu, a World War II sailboat.
Hunter believes that a fair or picnic that supports a fire company is important on multiple levels.
“When the community comes together to support the department, it’s not just the monetary support that means the most,” she said. “It’s the outward show of love and gratitude that matters most. That’s the heart of any festival.”
Amasa Hill Farms will bring their cow Harper for the cow flop bingo. This will be their first time participating at the fair.
“We want to give back to the community and raise funds for the fire company,” said Adam Johnson, family member of the family farm. Junior firefighters will test their firefighting skills by going through an obstacle course. Hop Bottom Hose Company will bring a fire safety trailer to go over the fire prevention in the bedroom. Although unable to attend the fair, a foundation called Helmets Off 4 David graciously provided the fire company a $5,100 grant for leather structural boots and flashlights. The Fleetville Fall Fair continues to be the fire company’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The funds will go to operational costs and the pumper tanker.
“The fall fair has become the greatest community event in the area,” said fire chief Tony Saxton. “I love seeing people from literally all over the place come together for a day of fun. I met people last year that drove over three hours each way just to attend the fair. There is something for everyone! It also brings out fire company members together without it being some type of emergency. We are lucky to have an outpouring of people from the come out to help us through the whole process from set up to clean up.”
