You wouldn’t know it by the number of strollers on Saturday headed up and down Meinrad and Main streets, but a couple months ago the future of the Lake Leelanau Street Fair was in jeopardy.
The street fair represents the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Lake Leelanau Community Association. The $2,000 to $3,000 raised is poured into a number of community enhancing projects including hanging lighted angels on utility poles at Christmas and decorating and lighting the Narrows Bridge.
The fair’s perilous livelihood nearly fell victim to a common malady of community events, that of volunteer burnout. The gas tank of the fair committee was running near empty, partly because it was being held on the Saturday after Labor Day. That meant the brunt of preparation work had to be done in August. Anyone who owns a business or entertains guests in the county has experienced fatigue at the end of the summer season.
Credit fair co-chairs Patrice Korson and Mary Lingaur with the solution: Move the fair into October, and add a fall festival touch.
It worked. “It was a good move,” said Lingaur, owner of Pedaling Beans Coffee House in Lake Leelanau. “Our volunteers needed more time in their schedule, and we ended up with almost an entirely new set of volunteers. Plus we found a new opportunity to explore the harvest theme. A lot of vendors leaned into that fall theme.
“Overall I would say it was a successful street fair.”
Choosing a three-day weekend for the fair was no accident, and with luck the weather held out — mostly. Cutting into traffi c was a brief shower and temperatures that struggled to the mid-50s, plus a disappointing afternoon loss by the Detroit Tigers in their playoff finale.
“I think we definitely had more people in the morning. We usually estimate 1,000 to 1,500 people. I think we were closer to 2,000. We had nearly 60 booths. That’s on par with last year as far as spaces filled,” Lingaur said.
Lingaur credited Korson — “She was a fabulous co-chair,” Lingaur said — and volunteers including Linda Lingaur for the fair’s success.
Attendees seemed to be enjoying themselves, she added, with Clark the Juggler swallowing swords and Deep Blue Samba School, New Third Coast and the Broom Closet Boys entertaining on the main stage.
Two non-profits were popular with fair goers. Again occupying the first booth by the main entrance was the Lake Leelanau Community Church, which was offering shoe boxes as part of a national movement called Operation Christmas. The shoe boxes are filled by families and mailed throughout the world for thebenefitof peoplewhootherwise would not have a Christmas. Lake Leelanau Community Church serves as the main dropping off point for filled boxes.
And the Little Finger VFW Post kicked off its fundraising drive with the goal of renovating its hall in Lake Leelanau, which was built by GIs returning from World War II. While the hall — which serves as a community center tor all of the county — is sturdy, it hasn’t changed much through the years. Needed are handicap ramps, air conditioning, an updated electrical system, new windows and accessible bathrooms.
“We were happy with the reception,” said commander Greg Mikowski, who along with his wife, Linda, brought a small trailer of gourds that were exchanged for donations. “We took in $650, which won’t go far on such a big project, but we had a chance to meet people and hand out fliers and explain what we need to do.”
Also serving on the street fair committee are Pam and Tom Kearns, Lee Bemis, Chris Hawkins, Cathy Sehnert and Annie Grant.
