By Paula Moore, KP News

“Take me out to the Key Peninsula Community Fair.
Buy me some candy and Crackerjacks.
Watch the chainsaw carvers give
That log its whacks!”

People can sing this ditty the weekend of Aug. 19 through the 21 as they celebrate the annual Key Peninsula Community Fair. One of the main attractions each day will be a chainsaw carvers’ demonstration. Watch the chips fly as the chainsaw buzzes through the log, when suddenly a smiling face of a bear appears.

You may even hear something like, “Be careful now; if you slip, you might cut off an ear. Wow, there’s another leg. Now the bear is complete!”

Each afternoon, George Kenny, owner of Northwest Experience in Allyn and Snoqualmie, will auction off all the artwork created that day. He was the winner of the Oregon State Chainsaw Carving Championships in 2002, after which he decided to open the George Kenny School of Chainsaw Carving. Some of Kenny’s students will be carving at the fair.

Friday, Aug. 19, the fair will open with the National Anthem sung by Whitney Moore, and the colors will be presented by Cub Scout Pack 222. For the family, there will be a petting zoo for the kids and rides by the Great American Carnival, a new company at the fair. Even better is the fact that there is a lower price this year for the presale pass. It was $15 and now it’s $12. To put the frosting on the cake, Friday will be “Buddy Day.” At 4 p.m., you can bring your “buddy” and get his or her pass for an additional $5. So bring a friend and join in all the fun.

Bands are an all time favorite at the fair. Friday night will feature Wickerman and Bruce Partridge. Saturday, fairgoers will enjoy the Blues Passage Band and The Billy Shew Band. If you are over 21, stop and relax at the Beer Garden. There will be a good time for all — singers, magicians, comedians, clowns, a fishing tank, a dog show and even a pie-eating contest are planned, along with great food vendors. And, of course, the judging of the floral arrangements, food, vegetables, sewing and needlepoint. To top all this off, there are antique tractors and a tractor pull.

The fair is important to the community because it involves all of the peninsula. It’s the joint effort of the Longbranch Improvement Club, the Key Peninsula Civic Center, and the Key Peninsula Business Association. Many volunteers from all over the area come together to make this fair a success each year.

Pam Libstaff, president of the fair board, is very grateful to all of the helpers. She particularly wanted to thank Sharon Kaffer, the former director, who transferred her place to Mary Graves. Pam said, “Sharon did a tremendous job. We have nothing but good will for her future endeavors.”
 

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