Hospital Fair Day Recap – August 3, 2024
It was so exciting to walk around the Townshend Common on Hospital Fair Day this year, greeting the many volunteers and fairgoers who made this event possible.
This was our first year as Co-Chairs of the Fair, and we look forward to many more – it’s such a pleasure, and so incredibly rewarding, to see how many people rally in so very many ways to support their community hospital. It’s amazing to us that more than 200 volunteers donate a total of over 1,800 hours to make sure that the many moving parts that comprise this unique fair come together.
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t thank former Fair Day chairperson, Eileen Fahey, who guided us every step of the way, in so many ways.
We’d also like to thank those who generously allow us to use their barns and trailers for storage prior to the Fair.
As we fondly recollect that wonderful day, where to begin?
It all started with people and businesses in the community who donated books, art, jewelry, toys, knickknacks, gift certificates, household items, canoes, kayaks, pies, corn, antiques, etc. Then there were the people who sorted and/or prepared all of these items for sale (starting, in some cases, as early as May). Volunteers came out of the hills, during the week prior to the Fair, to organize, set up booths, and sort, sort, sort. The day before the Fair, more volunteers showed up to help transport items to the Common.
Then, on the day of the Fair, volunteers and fairgoers arrived from far and wide. People lined up outside their favorite booths, signed up to bid in the Auction, got their Bingo cards, and bought raffle tickets and Fair Day t-shirts. The musicians who donated their time this year (Luminous Crush, Ralph Sherman & Friends, and The Buzzards) attracted a crowd of listeners, pausing only as the bagpipers and stork led the Baby Parade around the Common (what great attendance we had this year in the parade!). Kids played in the fountain in the center of the Common, got their faces painted, cast for prizes in the Fish Pond, and lined up for free pony rides. Fried dough, ice cream, corn, watermelon, food from the Gourmet Booth and Isabelle’s Kitchen, and pies and baked goods kept everyone well fed. Laughter could be heard all around the Common, as people connected and reconnected with friends, neighbors, and family. Bags were filled with items offered for sale, and cars and trucks were loaded.
After the dust settled, over $52,000 was raised at the 74th Annual Hospital Fair Day, an impressive tally for a one-day event.
Thank you to everyone who helps, in any way, to make Hospital Fair Day such a success every year. We look forward to seeing you on the Townshend Common on Saturday, August 2, 2025, for the 75th Annual Hospital Fair Day!
Connie Holt & Helen Holt, Hospital Fair Day Co-Chairs
Hospital Fair Day Traditions
A tradition began 73 years ago, and it has been vital to Grace Cottage’s patient care ever since. The first Hospital Fair Day was held on Saturday, August 5, 1950, organized by the Grace Cottage Hospital Auxiliary, with a healthy mix of fun, fellowship, and fundraising. Thanks to the love, loyalty, and dedication of so many volunteers and fairgoers over the years, this event continues. Grace Cottage relies on the proceeds from this annual event.
In the photo albums below, you can reminisce about past Hospital Fair Days and see some of the babies born here across the years.
Thank you for continuing to support the Annual Grace Cottage Hospital Fair Day!
Grace Cottage Babies
If you were born at Grace Cottage, send us a current picture and tell us your birth year, and we’ll add you to our virtual Birthday Baby Parade with our beloved Stork (don’t tell anyone, but it’s Dr. Timothy Shafer!)
Reminiscing
We want to reminisce with you. We’re posting videos and photos of past Fairs. If you have photos or videos from past Hospital Fair Days that you’d like to share, e-mail them to info@gracecottage.org, and we’ll add them to the album.
Hospital Fair Day 2024 Sponsors
Norm Holden Painting
