HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-02-28, Page 52Page$4 •
T*0 examples of
atts in Goderich
BY JOANNE
BUCHANAN
In thiscommunity
there are at least two -fine
examples of progress in
the arts.
Fifteenyears ago the
Christmas Country Fair
was started by a group of
women from Colborne
Ttewnship who wanted to
promote artists and
eraftsment the -com-
munity.
For the first fair, each
of the women- rented a
table 'at Carlow Hall to
display their crafts. The.
Women's Institute served
tea.
It was an immediate
success, being the first
fair of its kind in Western
Ontario.
• After the first year it
was obvious to the
committee of women who
organized the fair that if
they were to hold
another, they would need
more room. So they held
bees and other fund
raising events and hired a
carpenter to fix the up-
stairs of Carlow Hall.
They • papered and
painted it themselves.
When the renovations
were completed and
inspected, the committee
was able to use both the
downstairs and upstairs
for the second fair.
Eventually though, the
fair expanded to such an
extent, that it had to be
moved frOm its quaint
birthplace at Carlow Hall
to the larger Saltford
Valley Hall, also in
Colborne Township.
"At first I didn't think
I'd be able to handle it in
a bigger place," says
Mrs. Wilmer Hardy, fair
convener and a Member
of the original founding
committee. "But I got
tremendous co-
operation."
The name Colborne
Township's Christmas
Country Fair was first
Adopted because, by
having- C•olbarrte—in-the-
name, the organizers
could rent Carlow Hall
free of charge. It was
started by Colborne
Township women and
Colborne Township ar-
tists and craftsmen still
get first choice of
locations for their
displays with second
choices going to
Mariner's
Service 76 years old
exhibitors from,
Goderich.
Each year, ---Mrs. Hardy
tries to get artists and .
craftsmen front, -outside •
the area to come to the •
fair and set up displays. •
Exhibitors are charged '
$1 for their tables and,are
allowed no more than
eight feet of space. Each
one 'from outside t
Colborne Township is '
required -to -donate -a' -craft
for a door prize.
The Christmas Country
Fair is strictly a non-
profit event to promote
artists and craftsmen and
give theme chance to sell
their work.
The fair has a quilt
committee which makes
a quilt to sell tickets on
every year. The money
from these ticket sales
plus the small amount
charged to exhibitors for
tables and the small
admission fee off 25 cents
per person goes toward
payments for the hall,
parking and advertising.
Advertising pays off. It
attracts thousands of
visitors and well over 60
exhibitors to the fair
every year.
"Some say it is getting
too crowded and want it
moved again. But I don't
want to move it because
I'm afraid it might lose
some of its country
flavor," says Mrs.
Hardy. •.
While Goderich
residents have been of-
fered the Christmas
Country Fair for two days
in October every year for
the past 14 years, they
have also been offered
the Festival of the Arts or
Art Mart every summer
for several days since
1963.
It was started by
members of the Goderich
Art Club who felt •in-
terested artists in the
community should have a
chance to display and sell
their work to the general
public.
ThFfiViffthe Arts
is held outdoors with art
and craft displays set up
in Court House Park. It
now also includes flower
displays set up inside the
Court House, sidewalk
sales put on by local
merchants around the
Square and a carnival for
the kids set up on several
blocks of the Square.
In 1979 the 76th annual
Mariners Service was
held at Knox
Presbyterian Church the
last week in February.
Knox has hosted this
service since its inception
in 1903. At that time it
was called the Fisherman
and Sailor Service. In
1913, after the Great
Storm, it became known
as the Mariners Service
and involved everyone in
the marine trade.
On November 9, 1979
the first public memorial
service was held at_ the
unidentified seamen's
plot in the Maitland
Cemetery, com-
memorating the 65th
anniversary of the Great
Storm in which more than
200 sailors lost their lives,
including five uniden-
tified ones who washedhip
on Goderich shores. Ron
,
Pennington, a local
seaman, ,brought the
unidentified seamen's
plot to the attention of
town council, suggesting
it be "brightened up" and
an annual service held:
Warren Robinson, a
teacher at G.D.C.I., has
written a play entitled
The Gre-at Storm. It was
performed by the drama
club in 1975 •and has
received many awards.
Country Fair is an annual hit for craft lovers
From the original restoration of our Woollen Mill in the early,seventies,
we have experienced considerable growth and expansion. In just a few
• short years, Benmiller Inn now entails the Woollen Mill (1974), River
Mill (1976), and Glenhill House (1979). A complete complex of strikingly
renovated.century-old-naills:-Yetrhere-at-B-ernniller Inn, weltnow"--it h
'People who make the Place! That's why we extend to you a warm and
hearty WELCOME! Come join us during the 80's, we promise our
growth will not interfere with our old time Country charm.
Corne, join us fors..
Served Daily from Noon to 2:00. Only $5.95
AFTERNOON TEA
Relax and enjoy in front Of an open hearth log fire 2:30 to 4:30 daily. Just $5:00
SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER DANCES
Wine,. Dinner and Dancing tojohnny Downs and his Orchestra
s5.00 Cover Charge per person.
OR. JUST COME AND RELAX IN
Meet with family or friends in front of the 'fireplace.
Fully Licensed under the L.L.B.O.
For Reservations Phone
524-2191
Nestled in Benmiller, Ont., just 7 kilometres east of
Goderich on -Huron County Road 1, just off Highway 8.
LICENSED UNDER THE L.L.B.O.