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Page 6, The Toms River Times, July 23, 2022
Fair:
Continued From Page 1 clothes, toys, and stuffed animals. Still other booths were there to spread the word about their products or county organizations. Kids could make sand art. For those who wanted to be an art project, they could go to the henna tattoo or face painting booths. “We haven’t had it for two years. We didn’t want to see it go away,” said Helen Ferraro, a long-time volunteer with the fair. She became acting Fair Chairperson after the death Jeff Adams a few months ago. Sadly, he did not get to see the fair come back. The 2020 fair would have been the 73rd year of the fair. The only years they missed were 2020 and 2021. “There are some staples that people a sk for eve r y yea r,” she said , l i ke Bwana Jim, the wildlife exper t who lets kids get up close and personal with snakes and other critters. Even though it still had its familiar fe el i ng, t he re we re some f re sh attractions. Hatchet throwing and laser tag had n’t been done before. There had been dog shows, but this year’s Dynamo Dogs was new. There was a
People lined up for family-friendly rides.
new ride vendor, Campy’s Blue Star Amusements. The 4-H was looking forward to being back as well, said Amelia Valente, 4-H Program Associate and Laura Ferrie, 4-H Program Assistant. “It’s the capstone to our year. The kids work really hard on their projects and now they can show them off,” Valente said. “It’s a fun time for them to feel proud and accomplished.” As a leader in the organization, she said it’s rewarding to have a kid who is shy in September and watch them talk to the public about their pet or craft. The fair is a great recruitment tool, as local children see what the group is all about, she said. Whatever interests the child has, 4-H can find some kind of youth development for them. Without the fair, it was hard to meet prospective members. The 4-H tent had a score of projects the kids have been working on all year. Cages and pens contained fowl, rabbits, goats, and more. The air was humid and dense from a very brief rain storm earlier in the day, but there was a nice breath of cool air as you walked past the fans. The presentations were educational as well, teaching people such topics as how to prepare your pets for an emergency evacuation.
─Photo by Chris Lundy
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