By Jan Gottsman
The Item
STERLING — Sterling Fair is only a couple of weeks away, but things are taking shape.
The fair is at its usual time, the weekend after Labor Day, which this year is Sept. 8 to 10. The fair, which started in the 1800s and continued through the 1950s until it died due a lack of volunteers, was reborn in 1981 for Sterling’s bicentennial. It moved in 1999 to the grounds of Sterling Airport, at 121 Greenland Road.
Town Administrator Bill Caldwell told the Select Board Aug. 16 that one of the major last-minute hassles last year has already been resolved, and the town is saving money.
Last year, on the Friday before Labor Day, the town was informed it needed insurance for the fair that it had never had to buy before. The quick turnaround meant there was little time to negotiate.
This year, Caldwell was able to work on the situation earlier, and told the board the town is paying “$10,000 less than last year with more coverage.”
But there is something the town needs more of to make the Sterling Fair successful. Doug Downey, chairman of the Fair Committee, said, as usual, they need more volunteers. The all-volunteer fair needs more bodies, especially to help with directing parking and cleanup after the fair ends. For a full list of volunteer roles, and to fill out the volunteer form, visit sterlingfair.org/about-us/volunteer.
