Ladies Are Ready for the Fair
When the Ladies Village Improvement Society Fair takes over the grounds of the Gardiner Brown House on Main Street, “the buzz is all over town between 10 and 4,” said Vickie Lundin, the fair’s chairwoman. On Saturday, the ladies will don their white dresses and sun hats to host the 119th fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as always on the last Saturday of July. Green and white booths will boast vintage clothing, homemade treats, arts and crafts, and the signature carousel. There will be toys, games, face-painting, and other fun activities for kids.
“Seeing the smiling faces of the children, the community coming together and celebrating together — how wonderful!” Ms. Lundin said.
While many features of the fair have remained constant, save for at the height of the Great Depression, Ms. Lundin said the fair has changed a lot over the course of its 119 years. The first fair was held in 1896 at Clinton Academy on Main Street, the oldest chartered school in New York. Since then, it has been held at Mulford Farm and on the village green, among other locations, before finally coming to settle at the Gardiner Brown House in 1990.
In 1942, it included a war bride fashion show and featured foods available despite the wartime shortages. In 1960, a Henri Bendel trunk show at the fair celebrated the expanding New York brand. This year, for the first time, the fair will include a silent auction and a paper auction, with winnings including a 1970 Mercedes-Benz, vouchers for vacations, tickets to games and concerts, packages for experiences at local establishments, and more.
“All of the money that is raised goes right back into all that we do for the community,” Ms. Lundin said. “Our main emphasis has always been caring for the village.”
The society was founded in 1895, the year the railroad first reached East Hampton, in response to a call from The East Hampton Star’s editor for a society dedicated to enhancing the appearance of the village for visitors. “Tradition is important to the L.V.I.S.,” Ms. Lundin said. The society has worked to preserve the village street trees, and to care for its greens, ponds, historic sites, and nature trails. It also gives scholarships each year to graduating East Hampton High School seniors and women looking to return to school.
A barbecue hosted by the East Hampton Lions Club and the L.V.I.S. will offer food that can be taken home or enjoyed in a sunken garden on the property.