Fall Fling show in Canton draws thousands

BY JAMES LOEWENSTEIN (STAFF WRITER)

Published: October 5, 2009

Article Tools

Font size: [A] [A] [A]

Photo: N/A, License: N/A, Created: 2008:12:22 00:30:53

Review Photo/JAMES LOEWENSTEIN Jeff Pitcher of Towanda and his wife, Teresa, buy candy Sunday at a booth at the Fall Fling while accompanied by Nathan and Will Pitcher.

CANTON - When the annual Fall Fling crafts show was started six years ago, it was held on the lawn of the festival's organizer, Sue Baker of Canton.

At the time, the show had six vendors, and the proceeds of the show were used to buy Christmas gifts for children with special needs, said Baker's daughter-in-law, Robin Baker of Troy.

Each year, the number of vendors at the show has grown, and this year's Fall Fling, which was held Saturday and Sunday on Hickok Memorial Field in Canton, had approximately 125 vendors, according to the members of the committee that organizes the Fall Fling.

There were "at least a few thousand people" that came to the two-day show this year, Robin Baker said on Sunday. "Yesterday it was packed."

After being held at Sue Baker's home the first two or three years, the crafts show was moved to Hickok Field because more space was needed, said Robin Baker.

Among the attractions of the Fall Fling this year were a Chinese auction of gift baskets, a 50-50 raffle, live music, many dozens of crafts vendors, and various food vendors.

The proceeds of the Fall Fling are still donated to charities, but today they are donated to the Canton-area food pantry and the Giving Tree, which is an organization that provides Christmas gifts for needy children, said Robin Baker, who is a member of the committee organizes the Fall Fling.

One of the food vendors at the Fall Fling this year, St. John's United Methodist Church in Grover, sold approximately 800 pork-barbecue sandwiches at the crafts show this year, as well as about 150 cups of coffee and 200 cans of soda, said Marcia Wilson, one of the organizers of the church's food booth. The church was selling the food as a fundraiser for the church, she said.

The Fall Fling, which is organized by volunteers from the community, is now sponsored by the Innes Hose Company.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or e-mail: Jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.

Ads by Yahoo!