New event has focus on lakes

FAIRMONT - A new free event is coming to Fairmont during the late-August season, centered around the lakes and vintage boats.

Joan Cook-Fairchild is not exactly a stranger to organizing events, having done several promotions and events to bring people to Jewell, Iowa, where she previously lived and worked as the owner of Gravy Home Goods. Having moved to the area last year, an idea struck her to do something a little bigger than what she had organized before.

"I have a vintage boat, and I’ve always loved vintage boats," she said. "It drove me crazy that in Fairmont after the Fourth of July, not a lot happens. Not in the park. Not in the bandshell. Those five lakes are such an asset, and I love to show people what’s out there."

After sharing her ideas with others and not gaining any traction, Cook-Fairchild opted to organize a vintage boat show herself.

"If you know my personality, that is how I am," she said. "I am one of those that's 'You know what? Let’s make this happen.' I have a tendency to be able to make things happen. I’m not afraid to ask. I’m not afraid to research."

The vintage boat show will happen from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 22 in the Marina Lodge overflow parking lot. To be included, they must have been built in the year 1988 or before. Cook-Fairchild herself has a baby blue 1958 Botved Coronet, but due to its restoration not being finished, she said she will likely not bring it out this year.

"We didn’t want to clog up The Marina’s docks with the boats because we do want people to be able to attend and come by boat," she said. "We will do a small boat parade, probably swinging by The Marina, and then going around into Budd Lake, and possibly just through the channel and past the Channel Inn and then back to the landing at Ward Park."

There will also be two awards for the event: Captain's Choice, where those who bring the boats vote for their favorite boat, and People's Choice, where everyone who attends will be able to pick which boat they think is the best.

Currently, Cook-Fairchild anticipates at least 10 vintage boats, if not more. She spread the word on social media to reach out to area vintage boat enthusiasts, but has also cast a wider net.

"I’m also a member of the Antique Classic Boat Society," she said. "I’m part of the Land O’Lakes chapter, and it was listed within their quarterly magazine. I’ve attended the Land O’Lakes chapter, a couple boat shows, and so I hand out my flyers there. It’s a lot of fellow members of that that will be coming and showing their boats."

While she had envisioned a cutoff date, Cook-Fairchild said they will accept entries until the event starts.

A Vintage Pop-Up Market will also be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ward Park. Cook-Fairchild said this is a curated and juried group of vendors from around Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota. There will be some local representation in this market as well, including the Fairmont-based Shoe Merchants.

In addition to the standard sales tables, there will also be a boat paddle auction to raise funds for the Red Rock Center for the Arts. The paddles have been hand-designed by local artists.

After months of work, with the show and market only a week away, Cook-Fairchild said she loves how everything has shaped up.

"It’s been so easygoing," she said. "The response has been good. The biggest factor is weather because you can’t control that. The charm of it is that it’s a rain-or-shine outdoor event. I’ll know more after the event, but I’m feeling very positive."

Overall, Cook-Fairchild said she wants people to be excited and to see this event grow moving forward.

"I definitely will do it again," she said. "We will adjust and tweak as we feel we need, as this event grows. I would love to see a certain group or something take it under their wing, and I can pass the baton a bit and take on another event. I’ve got a few in my head that I want to do within the city limits to promote the lakes."

For more information, visit facebook.com/fairmontboatshowandmarket/.