To the Editor:
This will be is the 31st year for the Girdwood Forest Fair. Thirty-one years! Though there are many in Girdwood who have been to them all, there are many more that have only seen a few, and many more still who may like to know a little bit more about it, how it started, who runs it, and how can they get involved.
It is estimated that around 9,000 folks came to Forest Fair. Last year drawn by past experience to what has become a wonderful annual event. That’s a big boost from what started out as a whim by some local artisans who thought a having a fair in the woods by the fire hall would be a fun place to display their works. They called their artist friends and some musicians to come play a few tunes and got together in (what was not quite yet) the park. Of course, it rained. But that did not dampen the spirits one bit. Everyone loved it. Everyone said, “We should do this every year”. They formed a little committee and over the years decided on what the Fair should represent, and how it should be run.
They committed that the Forest Fair should always be free, that the arts and crafts be all original works and most importantly it should be free from divisive stuff like politics and religion. It would be a fair for Girdwood, unique to Girdwood, with hopefully none of the trappings that make it feel like a carnival or the larger state fairs. The Committee also decided that if any money was left over they’d donate the money to local causes. For 30 years the volunteers on the Committee have zealously clung to these ideals.
They cleared a trail, which gets improved some every year. They built a stage in the middle. It lasted years until ‘94 when they got the community together to build the Marlow Pavilion.
Who is this Forest Fair Committee? The Forest Fair is run by a dedicated group of locals (Some of whom have been there since the beginning) who bring a wealth of experience, responsibility and savvy to the proceedings. Starting in December and ending the following November, they get together to discuss, plan, worry, re-plan, listen, plan some more, and then, each with their assigned tasks, put their ‘best laid’ plans to work. The number of volunteers swells to a group of about 300 by the weekend of Forest Fair. All together this “Vibe Tribe” makes the Forest Fair happen.
The committees of Forest Fair take care of the serious business of producing this fun event. Earth Maintenance organizes the annual collection of over seven tons of refuse and recyclables. The Music Committee promotes Alaskan musicians and makes sure there is great dance music for locals on Saturday night. The Biergarden committee makes sure every server is TAM trained and certified, maintaining a safe and enjoyable environment for responsible adults. Our Professional Event Security Team provides 24 hour day coverage before during and after the Fair. To mitigate the negative consequences of illegal campers, the Forest Fair provides inexpensive supervised Camping which safely corrals our incoming visitors. And the Art committee makes signs, signs, everywhere the signs.
The Forest Fair is a family event. One of the main committees is the children’s committee which provides free craft activities and games for children throughout the three days of the Fair. There are annually more than 15 children’s’ booths which are assigned free of charge to local children.
Fairs are busy places with hundreds of people wandering willy nilly all over the park. Every so often parents lose track of a distracted child. Word quickly spreads to one of the many red shirted staff of the fair and a coordinated search begins. When a child is reported lost, every moment is an eternity for worried parents. The Forest Fair is proud of its 3 1/2 minute average time for finding lost children in a crowd of thousands. There is a system in place.
To prepare for the Forest Fair, the Committee attends endless meetings. Permits are negotiated. Fees and taxes are paid. Insurance is arranged. The paperwork is incredible and deep and really boring. There are lots of bills to pay. Forest Fair covers the cost of the busses that take folks back and forth to the parking lots at the Resort, pays for the portapotties and for the dumpsters and for a hundred other things. After selling T-shirts and operating the beer garden all weekend, the Forest Fair pays all its bills. And although the Forest Fair has and will always be free, it has been so successful that there is still money left over each year.
In the past five years the Forest Fair Committee has given away tens of thousands of dollars to Girdwood nonprofit organizations and individuals. Challenge Alaska , the Girdwood Fine Arts Camp, Little Bears, the Volunteer Fire Dept., the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts, KEUL radio, Rotary, the Community Schools the Girdwood Trails Committee, the Children’s Park and the Nissman Pavilion have all received support. The Forest Fair committee also has a scholarship program that provides support for local children to help them achieve their goals and dreams. The Forest Fair is in league with Santa Claus anonymously helping bring holiday happiness to 14 or more local families each December.
For the past five years the Forest Fair has paid all the costs, rent, repairs, utilities and insurance to keep Glacier City Hall open and available for our community. The sign up calendar is witness to daily use of the building. Glacier City Hall provides free office space for the Girdwood Board Of Supervisors and the Municipality Parks and Recreation as well as meeting space for a number of groups in Girdwood including the GBOS, the Land Use Committee, the Arts Camp, Community Schools, Little Bears, the Boy Scouts, Beautification Committee and more. Glacier City Hall is the polling place for elections, and for a score of other community events.
The Forest Fair takes a proactive role in helping to meet our community’s needs. Forest Fair committee has undertaken park improvement projects this summer such as the repaving of Forest Fair Park trails for better handicap accessibility, adding to the Nissman Pavilion and the developing a permanent campground in Girdwood to respond to the real need for controlled camping.
Thirty one years of experience will go into creating this year’s Girdwood Forest Fair. There is always room on the Vibe Tribe for more good folks. Come to the Friends of Forest Fair the weekend before the Fair. If you are new in town, it is a great way to meet your neighbors and become a part of a good thing. Please check the web site GirdwoodForestFair.com for schedules and information.
Jay Bell and Tommy O’Malley
Girdwood
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