Old-fashioned fun found at Marion church fair

Jul 25, 2015

From live music to lobster rolls, the First Congregational Church’s annual Super Duper Summer Fair had plenty of attractions for residents searching for fun on a summer afternoon.

As the church’s largest fundraiser, the event has been held since the early 1960s after members of the sewing circle came up with the idea.

On Saturday, the tradition continued as the popular “White Elephant” sale featured a variety of donated items for purchase, and a silent auction had residents making bids on several pieces of artwork.

This was Cornelia Dougall’s and Judith Coykendall’s third year as fair co-chairs.

Dougall thanked all who came together making this another successful year.

“We get a lot of people from the community helping us,” Dougall said. “It’s not just the church.”

This year, she said fair organizers made an effort to expand children’s activities. A dunk tank, bounce house, mini golf hole and other games were set up.

Participating in the bean bag toss were father and daughter Dan and Maeve Santos. Dan said his family was traveling towards the Cape from Rhode Island to visit friends and stopped for the fair.

“We were passing through the area and saw this great little fair,” he said.

One of the fair’s volunteers, Joan Hartnett-Barry, said being a low-key event is part of the fair's charm.

“It’s really old-fashioned,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.”