Saturday and Sunday the North Hamptons Lions Club presented its seventh annual North Hampton Street Fair. Despite the previous nights, storms and the wind and light rain that brought on the afternoon the community joined to support and celebrate with their neighbors and friends. Greeted by Kenny Teach, Lions Club Member since 1975, he explained that the weather was going to determine that turn out of this year’s street fair. Its Your Party Bakery opened early with hot coffee and turnovers to those setting up early during the morning, as well as the local Police Officers monitoring the traffic on busy State Route 41.
The morning began with a free entry car show; local citizens displayed their classic, vintage and modern vehicles in the corner of Pencils Body Shop, curving onto South Main Street. Folks like Rick and Cindy display their 1978 Dodge, they named, “Maggie” every weekend at shows, beside Marvin grout and 1964 Dodge 440, “I like seeing the people and talking to those that I have something in common with,” Rick and Cindy, among others show their car most weekends throughout Ohio. Phil Spears raised and still resides locally just outside of Clark County, brings his 1965 Chevy Corvette to the North Hampton Street Fair, for the last six years. With sixteen cars this year in comparison to last year’s forty- one displayed cars at the show, “weather is a major factor when showing a vehicle,” Mr. Spears says, “you do not want to uncover a car when there is a chance for bad weather; it just isn’t worth the gamble for the repairs.”
North Main Street served as the fairway for the festivities, food vendors from as far as South Vienna’s locally owned and operated Country Folks BBQ piping aromas of pulled pork brisket sandwiches in conjunction with local ice cream and locally loved favorites served up by Fents Dairy. For the kids the Asbury United Methodist Church provided cotton candy and goodies. The Lions Club provided a full course country dinner with choices of beverages and deserts. The chance to order your holiday wreaths sprays and spreads as well as the loved brooms that the Lions Club sells to benefit the gift of sight. A chance to win gift certificates from over thirty-five local restaurants, free tax preparation services and even free bowling, allowed a chance for everyone to find something of interest, to help raise money.
Being that this was a street fair for the kids the North Hampton Lions Club offered fun for all games such as Pie in the Face, Spill the Milk and Ring Toss. Face painting and bouncy house obstacles and fun castle provided hours of safe outdoor entertainment, all of the proceeds benefit the Children’s Rescue Center and the community of North Hampton. North Hampton Lions Club members Beverly Ream and Bobby Barrow sold wristbands for five dollars, giving the children a whole day pass to enjoy games and prize booths such as the Hook-A-Book, sponsored by the Children’s Literacy Center, where children fish for a book while being entertained by Cousin Lizzy the Clown, Debbie Adam.
The National Kiddie Tractor Pullers Association provided a mini scale tractor pull for age groups three years to eight years of age. In the three- four-year-old age group, Elaina Endman pulled 120 pounds, Christopher Shank pulled 140 pounds, and in first place was Kennedy Daniels, of Springfield pulling 140 pounds 25 feet-6 inches. The five and six year olds age group of Colton Harris, of Urbana pulled 140 pounds, twenty- nine feet, ten inches, Bryson Jenkins, of Springfield, pulled 140 pounds, twenty-nine feet, eleven inches and Keith Hague III, of North Hampton in first place with a full pull of 140 pounds. The seven and eight year old Kiddie Tractor Pullers Madison Chris of North Hampton pulled 210 pounds twenty-five feet, six and a half inches, eight year old Jessica Erne placed second and Xander Stacey of Springfield placed first with a full-pull of 210 pounds. Each trophy recipient also took home a certificate to pull at the Ohio State Tractor Pull at the Ohio State Fair Grounds this fall. Operators of the National Kiddie Tractor Puller Association will also be in New Carlisle on October 7, 2016 at 2:00 pm.
North Hampton resident, Josie Hague, took advantage of the weekend street fair, with her set up of lemonade, and reasonably priced goodies and sweets, such as the Buckeye pretzel for only fifty cents. When asked what she would like to do with the money, Josie replied, “Put it in my savings account.”
Recording artist and entrepreneur, Ralyn Snyder (performing center stage Sunday) set up in support of the street fair offering the loved product of 31 as well as her LP entitled, Simply Love. The Lions Club offered afternoon entertainment of local vendors, great food and family fun. The afternoon’s high winds may have cancelled the D.J., but that did not stop the chili cook-off and loved pie and cake auction held in the lodge of the north Hampton Lions Club. With the stage set on North Main Street, in anticipation that the weather did not hold off the of the performances of the New Carlisle Community Chorus, Nashville recording artist, The Kate Hastings Band with lead singer/songwriter, Kate Hastings a local Northwestern Graduate and The Rum River Blend, from Troy, Ohio, the Saturday afternoon brought together family and fun.
Pike Township Fire Department also took the day to educate the community on their services and how important the Proposed 2016 Property Tax Levy (Issue 4), and the importance of their continued service to the community. Pike Township Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), has not received funding through a levy since 1999. During the North Hampton Street Fair, local volunteers took time to educate the community on why the Issue 4 is such an important issue on the ballot this year.
Sunday the North Hampton Lions Club arranged a free breakfast at the Bridge Church, welcoming all to gather for outside church services with Pastor Norman Hayes while children enjoy entertainment in the Lions Club Den. Ralyn Snyder warms up the stage for Dove Award Winners, from Nashville, Tennessee, The Nelons Gospel Singers.
With the accompaniment of Chris Jenkins, trainer of Veterans Service Dogs, the North Hampton Lions Club honored the veterans in a Veterans Appreciation Ceremony; including a presentation of colors, the signing of the National Anthem and Service Songs honoring local Veterans. Wagging Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing service dogs to disabled Veterans in the Dayton/Columbus, Ohio area, provided a presentation and demonstration about service dogs and the importance of bonding and companionship that the program that provides to not only the Veterans, but also the animal.
The North Hampton Lions Club wrapped up the weekend street fair with the announcement of the eighty-five winner Prize Raffle drawing, a chance to raise funds for the community with a list of over eighty-five prizes and gift certificates from local business and restaurants, showing the out stretched support of the North Hampton Lions Club. All of the members would like to thank the sponsors for their support, and note that without them, the North Hampton Lions Club Street fair and the ongoing positive community projects would not be possible.
