The Harmony Patriarchs Club Presents
the 68th Annual HARMONY FREE FAIR - 2015
Welcome to the 68th Harmony Free Fair! Last year's fair was a wonderful success and we are so thankful to all who came out to enjoy our Fair. This year we are very excited to bring some new events including a Tractor Rodeo and a volleyball tournament. We will also have the return of the much missed chicken barbecue. Kavanaugh Amusements is coming back with a bunch of wicked good rides and is continuing to sell the Mega Bracelet which is good for all four days of the fair!
On the stage we will have many new acts like standup comedians and magic shows plus a large assortment of musicians playing a mix of different types of music. The talent show will be back this year and will offer over $500 in cash prizes.
We are also adding some educational presentations. There will be a $100 cash prize awarded for the best presentation. We still have space available and are looking for people who would like to do a demonstration or class that covers an agricultural topic of some kind during the fair. Each presentation should be about 30 minutes long and can take any form - lecture, open or round table discussion, demonstration, hands on etc. A cash prize of $100 will be awarded for what we feel is the best agriculture related presentation. All participants who hold a crowd of 10 or more people will receive a prize for having such a successful presentation. Please contact me for more information if you are interested in becoming one of our educational presenters.
We have so much free entertainment this year we are adding a tent with a smaller stage for many events and to allow needed shade for our fair attendees. Our Bicycle Giveaway was very successful and we've doubled the number of bicycles we purchased last year so we will be giving away twice as many as last year. There will be 20 bicycles for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Sign up at the ticket booth and you must be there to win! Also this year some lucky person will win a chance to remotely start the huge fireworks show from the stage, details will be at our prize ticket booth.
Many of our other favorite events are back - truck pull, demo derby, parade, arm wrestling, pig scramble, and cribbage just to name a few. Fireworks will light the sky again this year and one lucky individual will win the opportunity to press the big red button to remotely kick off the fireworks.
During the past year, the Harmony Patriarchs Club has helped support the community in many ways. Scholarships totalling $1,000 were awarded to deserving high school graduates. The club sponsored a $100 Citizenship Award and two field trips for Harmony Elementary School Students. A Mad Science program was provided for students in both Harmony and Athens Elementary Schools. The Patriarchs Club continues to support the community thorough our fishing day for the kids. We had a very good year with most of the kids getting fish. The whole town enjoyed the Mystery Theatre the club sponsored this year. The Fair Poster contest was a big success this year. We continue to support the Elementary School Art program with this contest. We award $200 in prize money which is divided among the artists of the first, second and third place posters and donate money to the Art Department at Harmony Elementary School. We feel strongly that our posters are some of the best in the state. Please support us by buying a tee shirt that displays an image of one of this year's posters and remember to check out the work of Harmony's wonderful artists in the Exhibit Hall.
We also have made large donations to improve the ball fields with new fencing an a new backstop. Improvements to the fairgrounds this year include vinyl siding to two of our older buildings, new and improved walkways, new stage floor, and major improvements to the pulling track which was already one o f the best in the state. We have also installed changing tables in both the men and women's bathrooms.
As always, there are no entrance or parking fees for our fair. The grounds, including entertainment are open and free to all! Please check the Fair book for specific events that may have an entrance fee.
One thing becomes apparent when asking people what they like about the Harmony Fair. It doesn't matter if you're 8 or 80, it is that they like hanging out with their friends. With that in mind, the Patriarchs Club will always have plenty of activities, rides and music. In those rare moments when there is no event you want to see or participate in we have places where you can sit and catch up with that person you haven't seen since last year's fair. This fair is about memories past, present, and future.
A list of events, contests, games, rules and contact information is included in the center of this book. Get yourself a highlighter so you don't miss any of the exciting events you want to see. Also check out our Facebook page and our web pages for more updates and last minute additions to our great fair. Events will also be posted on the white boards at the fair entrance and the stages. Remember if we can get 2000 likes on our Facebook page before the fair, yours truly will kiss a llama on stage.
Please remember, smoking and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on the fairgrounds. Also, we love all our 4 legged friends but the fairground is no place for pets. Service animals are the only non-exhibit animals allowed on the fairground so please leave your pets at home.
The Patriarchs Club was formed in 1947 as a community betterment organization. We are always looking for new members who have an interest in the community and want to make a difference to lots of folks here in town. You don’t have to live in Harmony to join, you just need to be willing to volunteer your time to make a great community, and a great fair, even better. We encourage families that are new to the area to get involved. It is a great way to meet folks in town. Without the strong sense of volunteerism in this town, the Harmony Free Fair would not exist nor would the Fire Dept., Ambulance, and Community Center. We would also be without many activities that are organized for the children of our town. Be proud little town of Harmony, you're doing good things. If you’d like to learn more about us, just ask anyone in an orange Patriarchs Club tee shirt, or contact one of the trustees listed in the book.
SEE YOU AT THE FAIR,
Jeff Chadbourne, President
2014 Letter from the President
2013 Letter from the President
2012 Letter from the President
