DANVILLE — The 91st Annual Danville Community Fair will return to the Danville Green once again on August 6, with this year’s theme being “Embracing Our Future.”
The theme was thought of and selected in large part due to the controversy that Danville’s new mascot, changed from Indians to Bears, has caused throughout the town.
“The change of the Danville school mascot divided many in our community,” Danville Chamber of Commerce President Eric Bach said. “Our hope is to allow everyone to realize we have to move forward and support the students currently at the school.”
In correlation to that effort, the Danville Bears school community will be celebrated as the Citizens of the Year.
“We hope to see lots of support from the progression of mascots through the history of Danville. From the Phillips Academy Huskies, the Danville Indians and now the newly named Danville Bears,” Bach said.
The fair festivities will start early and won’t slow down until late into the night.
The Bear Crawl 5K Fun Run, a family friendly run/walk, will open things up at 9 a.m. The race will raise money for the Danville Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations and prizes will be awarded to the winners of each age group.
The main event, the Grand Street Parade, will begin at 11, with participants encouraged to support this year’s theme and show how they think Danville will change in the future. Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place within the categories of Foot Power, Peddle Power, Small Float and Large Float. Additional points will be given to floats that connect to the “Embracing Our Future” theme.
Live music will be a constant throughout the day. The Danville Town Band will command the stage from 10-11:45; Kingdom All-Stars, 12-1:15; Loud Moon, 1:30-3:30, Tritium Well, 3:45-5:45, Diamond Special, 6-7:50; and Neon Rodeo, 8:10-10.
For those with a competitive side, there will be both volleyball —new this year — and cornhole tournaments starting at 1. There’s also all-day Bingo, from 11-9, with the Winner-Take-All-Game happening at 8:30. All proceeds from that will go to Boy Scout Troop 888 and the event is sponsored by Washburn Masonic Lodge #92.
At the Methodist Church, Joey the Clown will be entertaining with magic and balloon art from 2:30-3:30. Other activities during the fair include a petting zoo, dunk tank, bounce house, lawn games, face painting, kids games, inflatable jousting, raffle items and a selection of local food and vendors.
A sense of community is being valued this year through the theme, because Bach says community is what the fair was built off of in the first place.
“Pre-cell phones, multiple car families and the Internet, fairs were the summer events that brought local communities together,” Bach said. “It was a way to see friends you may not have seen all summer, connect with resources from other communities and come together to celebrate the overall success and good fortune of your friends and neighbors.”
The event used to be centered strongly around agriculture and was an opportunity for farmers to show off livestock. Bach says that focus has shifted as the community becomes less dependent on agriculture for its income, but the sense of community is still a key factor to success.
“Community support is essential to keep the fair operational. Entertainment, food, sponsorships, space and lots of volunteers are all needed to make the event possible,” Bach said. “Without the community, the fair would not be around to create a fun community gathering opportunity. For 91 years it has been considered the ‘big event’ in Danville.”
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