Families Come Out for May Fair Despite Weather

Housing more than 400 students and their families, played host to the May Fair Saturday afternoon, despite weather conditions and a slight increase in ticket costs.

Light sprinkles of rain forced the coordinators to move the games inside the cafeteria and gym, but groups of families still roamed outside for activities. The small campus was decorated with a rock-climbing exhibition, bounce houses and a miniature golf course.

“I love it. She’s having so much fun,” said Tina Lawson as she watched her first-grade daughter play on the course, echoing the sentiments of many other families.

It’s only her daughter’s first year at the school, Lawson said, but she said she intends to bring the family back next year.

Past the rock-climbing area was the school’s gazebo, which doubled as an arts and crafts sanctuary where students volunteering from painted children’s faces. A bevy of high school and middle school students volunteered with the fair, in its 42nd year.

“It’s largely run by volunteers,” Sheilla Salicrup, the fair’s co-chair, explained.

The fair is the last major event for the PTA before school is out for summer. With the cost of equipment hovering around $3,000, operating the equipment and participating in events is volunteer intensive, requiring immense dedication from parents, students and local residents.

“It’s a community event for kids to just have fun and get involved,” Salicrup said.

When the event first started decades ago, the initial goal of the fair was to raise funds to help with school projects.

But as the fair developed over the years, it became less of a pure fundraising event and more of a community event. Committee members focused their energy on providing a fun experience for the public, no matter the cost and revenue. Salicrup noted that sometimes they barely break even.

This year, because of the higher costs of equipment, ticket prices saw a small increase, said Maby Palmisano, another co-chair for the fair.

But there was no evident difference in the amount of families who came out this year with their children, she said.