By Beth David, Editor
Rain and the threat of thunderstorms forced the Fairhaven Improvement Association to cancel the annual Homecoming Day Fair on 6/24/23. The event features about 175 vendor booths and is the biggest fund-raiser for many of the nonprofits that sell food.
And, of course, food is perishable.
So, some of the organizations decided to get creative and improvise. The North Fairhaven Improvement Association made and sold its cacoila sandwiches and hotdogs at its building on Adams Street. Inside, the Fairhaven Lions Club and Rotary Club of Fairhaven also sold their food.
It was a festive atmosphere, and they were pretty much sold out by around noon.
NFIA board member Heidi Hacking said it was just a natural that the nonprofits would help each other out.
The Livesey Club also sold their lobster rolls out of their building, and sold out very quickly as a resident decided to buy the whole batch for a big party he was having. The East Fairhaven Improvement Association, which usually sells strawberry shortcakes, sold the strawberries at the Fairhaven Senior Center.
On Sunday, the VFW auxiliary sold their baked goods at the VFW, and the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society sold their very popular noodles outside the musuem on Cherry Street.
All the groups and many of their individual members promoted the change of venue on their social media pages. Business was brisk at most places, and we hope they were able to add to the coffers.
Josh Foster and his dad Jeff live in the neighborhood near the WMFS museum. They said they had no idea about the fair or the society’s annual fundraiser there. They just saw the post and decided to check it out.
“To support the society and to enjoy some great food,” said Josh.
- L-R: Pauline Parker stuffs a bun with cacoila as Ed Rose gets ready to stir the cacoila at the North Fairhaven Improvement Association building on Adams Street after the Homecoming Day Fair was canceled due to rain on 6/24/23. Photo by Beth David.
- The inside of the North Fairhaven Improvement Association building is hopping on 6/24/23 after the Homecoming Day Fair was canceled due to rain and the NFIA, Rotary Club, and Lions Club set up shop to sell the food they had planned on selling at the fair. Photo by Beth David.
- Members of the North Fairhaven Improvement Association cook cacoila and make sandwiches outside their building on Adams Street after the Homecoming Day Fair was canceled due to rain on 6/24/23. Photo by Beth David.
- Members of the Fairhaven Lions Club pose for the local free sheet while selling quahogs and favas at the North Fairhaven Improvement Association building on Adams Street after the Homecoming Day Fair was canceled due to rain on 6/24/23. Photo by Beth David.
- Heidi Hacking wraps hot dogs and cacoila sandwiches at the North Fairhaven Improvement Association building on Adams Street after the Homecoming Day Fair was canceled due to rain on 6/24/23. Photo by Beth David.
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Click here to download the 6/29/23 issue: 06-29-23 Homecoming_NFIA
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