Fall Festival Planning Underway for September

Mark your calendars for Sept. 29.

On Thursday, the Merrimack Town Council gave Merrimack Fall Festival and Business Expo planners the green light to move forward with this year's sixth annual event.

"It's hard to believe, its become a tradition at this point," said Town Councilor Dan Dwyer, who on Thursday presented the Council with a letter from lead organizer David McCray, who couldn't make it to the meeting. The letter included a round up of the fifth annual event and broad plans for this year.

The Fall Festival and Business Expo is an opportunity to showcase the businesses and organizations that make Merrimack, and the greater Merrimack region, a great place to live.

The fifth annual event after McCray had taken a step back following some health issues. But after encouragement from local business owners and organization leaders, McCray decided to put together the event in grand fashion.

Unfortunately, the rainy Oct. 3 weather presented some challenges, which have forced a little rethinking for this year's event.

Out of the equation is Abbie Griffin Park, according to Dwyer. The park, which has been used as a place to check out local crafters, is too far away from the rest of the expo, Dwyer said. Crafters will be moved to an area of the James Mastricola elementary schools' property near the parking lots, according to McCray's letter.

Some food vendors didn't attend due to the weather and entertainment was moved into the JMUES All-Purpose room.

But McCray's letter says vendors inside reported higher than normal sales, despite an estimated attendance of 4,500, about 3,000 fewer people than was expected.

"The good news is that vendors reported huge increases in spending from visitors from the year before because people were staying inside longer and were in no rush to leave and go out in the rain," McCray wrote. "Almost everyone who were selling items reported more earnings than the year before."

Last year's event, with 151 vendors and organizations, took in $8,000, which was in turn used to promote the event, pay expenses for town employee time and pay for entertainment.

McCray said this year, the plan is to spend less on advertising, which ate a bulk of the budget, and more on entertainment, like visits from Wally the Green Monster, a petting zoo and more.

This year's event, with approval from the school district to use the elementary schools' property, will be Sept. 29, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Businesses will pay $50 for a space before Aug. 1 and $75 after. Crafters will pay $25 before the early registration deadline and $35 after. Volunteer organizations who supply volunteers to help at the event will be waived a fee if signed up before Aug. 1, or it will be $75 after the deadline. After several volunteer organizations failed to supply the volunteers they promised last year, McCray said there will be more dilligence on behalf of the planners, to make sure that doesn't happen again.

The Town Council gave a hearty endorsement for the project, singing its praises as a well-loved event in town.

“I think it's just fabulous really, it's such a lively event, people love it," Councilor Jackie Flood said.

Bill Boyd who made the motion to endorse it said the board was doing it enthusiastically.

"I think it's a great way to showcase the town in the fall," Boyd said.

The endorsement was approved 5-0-1 with Dwyer abstaining.

"It's a worthwhile event, something we took on the fly six years ago and it just exploded," Council Chairman Tom Mahon said. "It's really good."