Seniors get their day in the sun at Holmes Fair
The Holmes County Fair Senior Day raffle drew a large crowd of seniors who received a bevy of items donated by local vendors.
After focusing on the children during Kid’s Day, presented by AloNovus Inc., the Holmes County Fair turned its attention to activities for the other end of the spectrum during Senior Citizen Day, which took place Thursday, Aug. 11.
Senior Citizen Day was sponsored by Danbury Senior Living and Foundations Health Solutions and provided all types of booths and tables that were geared toward information and insight into numerous activities, programs and senior-living options.
Tabletop displays included everything from senior care, hospice care and senior activities to health, active lifestyles and retirement options.
In addition, there were numerous food vendors that offered special deals, along with a list of raffle door prizes donated by the many vendors at the fair. The raffle drew a crowd in the main arena, where event organizer Kathy Schlabach was busy spinning the drum with the tickets, calling out names and passing out prizes.
Now in its fourth year, Senior Citizen Day continues to grow and be a presentation that has enticed more seniors to come and enjoy the fair.
Schlabach said the day was designed for people age 55 and older, and it continues to grow and develop.
“It’s inside in air-conditioning, and it provides everything under one roof, which is perfect for our seniors,” Schlabach said. “We’re finally getting to the point where seniors know what it is and know what to expect, and our attendance was really great. With so much to do, our seniors really have something here they can enjoy and learn from, and there is a lot of wonderful information here for them. Plus, they can mingle and have fun getting together and enjoying the day out at the fair.”
The day also included plenty of activities in the air-conditioned main building, where seniors were invited to visit with the organizations at the tables from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., listen to gospel or country music from The Lovedays, or enjoy the company of the many seniors who visited during the day.
“I don’t think this day would even be possible if we didn’t have a fully air-conditioned area for people to come in and visit and participate,” said Kerry Taylor, Holmes County Senior Fair board president. “It could be 90 degrees outside, but it’s a beautiful 72 degrees inside, allowing them to really enjoy the experience.”
Taylor said they also were appreciative of the many vendors who stepped up and provided informative tables and many quality raffle items.
“Our vendors who are directly connected to the seniors have done an incredible job of making this day special,” Taylor said.
Taylor said Kid’s Day had perfect weather and some games and activities that brought the largest attendance at Kid’s Day ever.
The Wednesday, Aug. 10 Kid’s Day fair attendance soared past 7,500, which breaks last year’s Saturday attendance record by 400 people.
“These types of age-specific events have definitely helped bring people in,” Taylor said. “We are honored to be able to offer both our youth and our seniors a day of activities designed just for them.”