MARBLEHEAD — Although the coronavirus has canceled other large-scale town events this year, one community group’s owner is confident their inaugural annual Fall Fair will proceed as planned next month.
Discover Marblehead and the Marblehead Museum are teaming up to host an outdoor fall fair at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion, which is part of the museum, on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“I think people need this right now — to be outside, to be socializing on a small scale,” said Melissa Stacey, who founded Discover Marblehead with her former business partner, Andrea Young, two years ago.
Discover Marblehead is a for-profit media and tourism organization that focuses on promoting businesses and bringing in people to the town, according to Stacey, who explained she and her current business partner, Amy Bucher, had been interested in organizing a fall fair to fill the void left by other similar town events that had been canceled this year.
For example, two of the town’s signature events, the Marblehead Festival of Arts and the Marblehead Art Walk, were canceled earlier this year and Stacey has heard that the annual Marblehead Christmas Walk, which draws large crowds each year, may be called off as well.
“We decided to do it just because there doesn’t seem to be a lot of things going on,” said Stacey. “We saw a need for it in the community. It will give local artists a chance to show and sell their art.”
Stacey said they reached out to the Marblehead Museum to partner in the event, and “it just kind of spiraled from there.” Proceeds from the event will benefit both the museum and the Marblehead Food Pantry.
“We’re excited to be working with them and using our Lee Mansion garden space for a community event,” said Lauren McCormack, executive director of the Marblehead Museum.
At the Lee Mansion Gardens, people can spread out easily, Stacey said, noting that the 20 tables for local artists will be spaced far apart to follow social distancing guidelines. So far, 17 artists have committed to the event, which leaves three open spots.
What’s key, she said, is that the event is happening on a much smaller scale than those other larger events that had to be postponed. In addition, all attendees, artists and event organizers will be wearing masks and hand sanitizer will be made available, she said.
“Our hope is we can get at least 100 to 150 people to the fair that day,” said Stacey. “We’re doing it over a four-hour period in hopes that we can spread out people.”
Although the focus of the fair will be on the local artisans, the event will also feature interactive elements, such as mini pumpkin decorating kits, and photo opportunities with scarecrows and bales of hay, Stacey said.
Each pumpkin kit purchased will benefit the Marblehead Food Pantry, while each table purchased by a local artist will benefit the museum. Stacey said they are looking to raise $400 for the museum and between $250 to $300 for the food pantry, which have both been struggling during the pandemic.
“I think the key is that it’s going to be outdoors and we’re taking the precautions and it’s a smaller event,” said Stacey. “We really hope to grow it into something bigger over the years when we have less of the COVID guidelines we have to follow down the road.”
