Fort Plain Street Fair

Parade, street fair draw crowds to Fort Plain

By RODNEY MINOR, The Leader-Herald
FORT PLAIN — Hundreds of spectators lined up along Main Street in the village Saturday, waiting to catch a glimpse of the marchers in the parade.

As the participants walked by, young and old alike cheered them forward along their route on the still warm and sunny spring day. The sound was only interrupted by occasional rifle fire from colonial reenactors in the parade.

The event marked the last day of the Fort Plain Street Fair Days.

Jim Katovich, a member of the Fort Plain Community Activties Council, said the idea for the event came out of the village’s celebration of its 175th anniversary last year. The council was a sponsor of the event, and decided because everyone had such a good time with the activities offered, it would be a good idea to do it again.

“We just want to give people a chance to have some fun, and generate some community spirit,” he said.

Over the course of the street fair days, it featured many vendors and rides in Haslett Park.

Ryley Myers, of Gloversville, just could not wait to get on some of the rides. His grandmother, Kathie Carpenter, actually had to keep him from playing in the fountain while they waited for the rides to start.

The Fonda resident said she saw the event listed in the paper and decided it would make a fun day out for both of them.

Myers eventually got to go on his favorite ride, one that featured miniature motorcycles, cars and trucks. There were plenty of options to choose from as well. A number of smaller rides whipped people around at high speed, a ship swung people back and forth, and rising high into the sky was a ferris wheel along the outside of the park.

Vendors selling clothes, jewelry, and food also occupied space in the park. One booth belonged to a group from Harry Hoag Elementary School.

Michelle Hext, a teacher at the school, said students and teachers were selling items to raise money for a program called Positive Behavior Intervention and Support. She said it is a state-wide program that is designed to encourage and reward students for appropriate behavior.

“This is all about the kids, and what is best for them and this community,” Hext said.

Games were set up throughout the park. People were throwing darts, ping pong balls, and quarters trying to win a variety of prizes.

Steve Macphail, of Canajoharie, was dropping a quarter into a game, hoping it would knock more money off of a tray and down to him.

While he was having fun, Macphail said he was not interested in the games.

“I’m just waiting for the parade to start,” he said.

Before and after the parade, the smell of chicken barbecue wafted over the park and down Main Street.

Katovich said the chicken dinner was just one way the council was attempting to raise money to pay for the event. It cost over $8,000 to put on the street fair days, he said, not including the time more than 50 volunteers spent working on the events.

If the money is available, the street fair days could become an annual event, Katovich said.