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Hay River Fall Fair returning

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At the Hay River Fall Fair in 2011, Katrina Delorey and her then two-year-old son Dason Vermillion checked out the displays. NNSL file photo

After an absence of several years, the Hay River Fall Fair is returning.

The last time the event happened was in 2014.

At the Hay River Fall Fair in 2011, Katrina Delorey and her then two-year-old son Dason Vermillion checked out the displays. NNSL file photo

This year's return is set to take place on Sept. 8.

It is being revived by Jill Morse and a core group of about a half-dozen women.

Morse said she was contacted by a group of women who most recently organized the event, which actually started in 1977.

"They came to me and asked me because I do lots of other fundraisers in town. They asked me if I would consider taking it over," she said. "I couldn't bring myself to say no. It's such a great community event."

One of those former organizers is Sheila Cook, who is very happy that new organizers have been found.

"Jill Morse has an awesome team," she said. "Jill's a go-getter. She'll make sure that things work, and we're there to support her in any way we can."

Cook said she and the other former organizers wanted someone else to take over the Fall Fair.

"We just totally did not want the fair to die," she said. "It's a great community event."

Two of the reasons the Fall Fair was not held for the past several years were uncertainty about the availability of a venue because of a municipal workers strike in 2015 and then the reconstruction of the Rec Centre, where the event is held.

"And we just got busy doing other things," said Cook. "We just thought it was time to pass the torch on."

Morse said she was contacted at the beginning of August about organizing the Fall Fair and she got on the phone right away to gather a core group to run the event.

By mid-August, the group already had three organizing meetings, and they will seek to involve other volunteers.

"Usually you prepare for an event months and months in advance," Morse noted.

The Fall Fair will be held in the Community Hall at the Rec Centre while a trade show is being held in the curling rink. Normally, the trade show is held in the arena, but the ice is going on earlier this year.

Morse believes the community is excited the Fall Fair is returning.

"I think they really missed it," she said.

Morse noted that the last time the event was held there were 91 participants, either competing or exhibiting.

She has participated in the Fall Fair in the past as the organizer of the kids' carnival.

The revived Fall Fair will be the same as the old event with displays of vegetables and crafts, and judging to hand out ribbons.

However, Morse said the judging will be scaled back, noting it was previously very complicated and stringent.

"We are kind of stepping back a bit and making it just a bit more fun and a bit more lenient as far as the judging goes," she said, adding the organizing committee is looking for volunteer judges.

There is the option for people to just exhibit their produce or crafts without judging.

Other things planned for the event include fall photos, a kids' carnival, cotton candy from the Girl Guides, craft tables, small business vendors and an invitation to children to dress in costumes.

The theme of the Fall Fair is As Time Goes By, which for one thing will involve a display of old and new clocks.

Morse said people will also be asked to display old and new family photos.

Another thing under consideration is to have a display of baby pictures from community residents and challenge people to match the photos to a list of names.