Shelter Island Country Fair to return Aug. 23: Music, games and hearty treats for the family

The Country Fair will return to the Center Firehouse grounds on Saturday, Aug. 23, spearheaded by the Lions Club as part of their 75th anniversary observance this year. The beloved day of family fun has been sorely missed by Islanders, with fond memories of a barbecue, music and games to pass a summer Saturday.

Live music will be performed by Erich Carey and the Constituency, who are donating their time and talent. A pig roast and traditional barbecue are planned, with games and festivities for the whole family.

The Fair is also supported by the Shelter Island Fire Department and Women’s Auxiliary as well as the Chamber of Commerce, with proceeds going to support the Department.

Islanders with long memories recall that the Country Fair was started by Al Kilb, in the early 1980s when he was Chief of the Fire Department, along with Eric von Carp, who was active in the Red Cross ambulance service as well as the Fire Department, and a few others. “The main reason,” Mr. Kilb recalled recently, “was I wanted to show the community that the members of the Fire Department had skills and talents that no one knew about. They weren’t just a bunch of beer-drinking guys.”

Gene Shepherd was proficient at repairing engines; Frank Klenawicus restored airplanes; and Ed Clark was famed for his talent at carving ducks, a skill passed down through his family to this day.

The fire fighters, many of whom came from the Heights Department, which later merged with the Center group, demonstrated their special abilities that were highly valued in the Island’s very unique way of life.

In addition to family games and a bounce castle, the first fairs featured “ponies, a greased pig contest, a pie-baking contest and a chowder contest,” Mr. Kilb recalled. “Stanley Lenox cooked a pig and turkeys. We had kielbasa too. And Paul Shepherd and other guys played guitar. Bridg Hunt set up a game. It was a lot of fun.” 

Islanders are looking forward to welcoming back this event that was the highlight of many summers, along with the Chicken Barbecue, before both succumbed to the scarcity of volunteers to stage two such labor-intensive events.

The Fair will be on from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday Aug. 23. There will be other events just down the road that day, the Arts & Crafts show and the Green Expo, on the school grounds.