Yankee Doodle Fair Set for Thursday

One of Westport's oldest and adored family events is set for Thursday through Sunday at the Westport Woman's Club on Imperial Avenue — The Yankee Doodle Fair.

"Besides being our signature fundraiser, Yankee Doodle Fair is Westport's favorite rite of passage into summer," said president of the club Mary Wells Vickery. "For 103 years, going back to our beginnings as the Women's Town Improvement Association, we've had some sort of fair, raising funds to build sidewalks on Main Street, install toilets at Compo Beach and bring hot meals and healthcare to the schools.

"Today, through direct grants and services, the Woman's Club provides $200,000 annually to community causes—including scholarships for Staples H.S. students and donates more 1,000 hours in volunteer support," she continued.

For "kids of all ages," Yankee Doodle Fair 2010 is a mix of "must-do" carnival rides and games from Stewart Amusements. Joining the ever-popular Ferris Wheel, Flying Dumbo, Kiddie Cars, Basketball Toss, Bumper Cars, Rope Ladders and Everybody-Wins-Fishing are the spectacular Ali Baba, Cliff Hanger, Tower Drop,  Giant Slide, Scrambler and the brand-new and breath-taking Zero Gravity.

The Woman's Club's own face painting, sand art and kid games are back, too, along with the Garden Department's Homegrown Plant Sale and the Curio Cottage's sale of pre-owned treasures. Newly added this year, in the air-conditioned Auditorium is the home of the Gourmet Group's famous Bake Sale called Sweets and Treats, where buyers may find delights ranging from apple tarts to zucchini bread, baked by the Westport Woman's Club's members.  The club will also sell its newly published, star-spangled, Yankee Doodle Fair Sweets & Treats-Baking in Westport dessert cookbook, available for just $10. 

Additional vendors at the Sweets & Treats Marketplace include: 

• Twirl Boutique, where every little girl will delight in their fabulous multi-layered colorful tutus, wands, wings, halos and ribbon flip flops
• K Madison Designs, which produces soft cotton jersey knit "Sleepwear you can wear anywhere" in fashion forward prints and colors, sized from children through adults
• Scout Bags, purveyors of the reusable plastic tote, bags and bins in "cool, colorful and collectable" colors, shapes  and sizes, offering style, function and affordability
• Gingerbitz,offering designer gingerbread house kits (to pre-order for the holidays), cookie kits and gingerbread treats
• Ana's Creations, selling beautiful handmade fashion clothing and accessories for 15" and 18" dolls made by the mother and daughter team of Ana and Gloriana
• Barnes & Noble, with an assortment of "let's make it together" kits for boys and Dads and Moms and daughters, along with read-together storybooks
• CT-CHIPS, offered as a free public service by Westport's Masonic Lodge, is a comprehensive child identification tool designed to give families a measure of protection against ever the increasing problem of missing children
• Bridgeport's Sound Tigers, providing ticket package information and a chance to try your luck with the Tiger's "Wheel of Prizes" or have your picture taken with Tony the Tiger, the Sound Tiger's mascot.  

By Sunday, Father's Day, fairgoers who buy tickets for the Raffle or Lucky Prize Drawing will win prizes — even if they are not present for the 5 p.m. drawing.  The Raffle grand prize is $1,000.  Second prize is two summer season tickets (3 plays), redeemable at Westport Country Playhouse. Third prize is a $250 gift card, redeemable at Mobil.  Fourth prize is a silver necklace, earrings and bracelet from Lux Bond & Green.

Thanks to Westport's generous merchants and restaurants, there also are nearly 50 separate gifts and gift certificates in the Lucky Prize Drawing.

The fair also includes an International Food Court with menu choices from Jasmine, Bobby Q's, 4 Brothers and Joey's By the Sea.  The WWC is running the beverage booth, and many choices of dessert are available at the Bake Sale or from Ron's Ice Cream.

Yankee Doodle Fair hours are from 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Rides open one hour after the Fair.  Admission is free.  Best deals for families who want to enjoy the carnival rides are the $20 unlimited rides wristbands, available Thursday 6 to 11 p.m., Saturday noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.  Otherwise, a sheet of 22 tickets goes for $20.

Major sponsors for the 2010 Yankee Doodle Fair are Northeast Utilities/CL&P, Resnick Investment Advisors, LLC; a corporate angel and Robert E. Grant Attorney-at-Law.  Generous additional support has been provided by Cheryl Eldh, Ellen Granger, Gault, Newman's Own Foundation, Wachovia/Wells Fargo; Westport Orthodontic, Westwalk Orthodontic and Castlekeep Investment Advisors.

2010 Co-Chairs are Mary Lee Clayton, Dorothy Curran and Sarajane Lynch.  Committee Chairs include Mary Wells Vickery, Clare Clark, Bev McArthur, Lisa Allison, Linda Amos, Zita Casey, Linda Clair, Nitzy Cohen, Mary Jane Cross, Susan Cugliari, Karen Eickhoff, Fay Farquhar, Lorraine Feliciano, Barbara Gladnick, Carol Goetz, Lois Harner, Anne Hunt, Denise Kuendig, Elfriede Lafferty, Barbara Levy, Jo Fuchs Luscombe, Wendy McKeon, Joyce Netherton, Jane Potkin, Audrey Rabinowitz, Leah Scherzer, Catherine Smith, Jean Simons, Barbara Szefc, Jeannette Tewey, Diana Zaslow.

The Westport Woman's Club, organized in 1907, is a non-profit philanthropic organization dedicated to volunteerism and the raising of funds in support of the educational, charitable, cultural and public health services in Westport and surrounding towns. For more information, contact the Westport Woman's Club, 44 Imperial Avenue, Westport.  Telephone is 203.227.4240. Website: www.westportwomansclub.org.