Over the past 91 years, the Unionville Community Fair has grown from a grassroots school harvest festival to a community institution – one that was imperiled until last month.
Organizers are now savoring the fact that the 92nd Unionville Community Fair will occur on Friday, Sept. 30, and Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, according to a fair press release.
Before a Save the Fair meeting on Feb. 17, the future had looked bleak as key leadership posts remained vacant. However, Deb Deckman stepped forward and agreed to serve as the fair board’s next president, and Jeff Lewis volunteered to serve as the fair’s next treasurer.
The fair’s board said it was happy to see about 50 community-minded individuals come out to preserve the past and invest in the future of the fair, which honors the area’s agricultural heritage, promotes environmental education, and provides engaging family and community-centered programs. The two officers were elected at the board meeting on Feb. 24, the release said.
Deckman, who lives in West Grove, has deep roots in Unionville and the fair. Her husband Matthew’s grandparents were part of the fair since the beginning. Grandmother Laura (Case) Deckman was the fourth Unionville Fair Queen, and many fairgoers remember Fred Deckman’s homemade matchbox cars.
Matthew Deckman’s parents, Joe and Lori (Johnson) Deckman, are both Unionville grads. Joe Deckman introduced Fred and Laura Deckman when the fair was dedicated to them a few years back. Jeff Lewis is new to the area and wanted to get involved and give back to the community just like Deb Deckman, the release said.
The board also welcomed a new member, Tara Soto Regester. Danielle Chamberlain and David Pritchard, outgoing president and treasurer respectively, will remain on the board of directors.
Chamberlain said the first-time addition of a paid fair manager, Pam Eppinger, should facilitate the transition to new leadership. The position was designed “to take some pressure off new incoming board officers,” she explained. Eppinger knows the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District well, having provided educational support to students in the district and working with other nonprofits, the release said.
