Sea Fair, Powell River’s annual summer celebration, will go ahead in 2016 only if more help can be found, said Jenny Garden, Powell River Sea Fair Society president.
The festival’s fate was brought in question last month after it was revealed Sea Fair was facing severe financial and volunteer challenges and a carnival midway company had cancelled its date in Powell River. The board met in December to look at whether it would even be possible to plan a fair in 2016.
“We went around in circles about the different challenges,” said Garden. “We all agreed that it doesn’t necessarily need to have the midway to function.”
If the society does not have sufficient funds for a festival similar to previous years it is not a reason to cancel, but to adjust its budget accordingly, said Garden. The greatest challenge, however, is finding more people willing to help organize, she added.
Garden explained the board needs to find three volunteers to help with coordinating the annual fishing derby, community parade and the 40 to 60 volunteers who help during the festival weekend. The volunteer coordinator does not need to find the volunteers though, she added.
“If we don’t find those three people soon, then the committee said they don’t want to take on all the extra work to go forward,” she said.
Garden said individuals taking on various organizing roles will be supported and given assistance from outgoing volunteers and remaining members of the board.
“We felt that if we could get three or four fresh bodies on the organizing committee, people who are willing to meet once a month, then we can probably plan a Sea Fair,” she said.
One individual, after reading about the festival’s plight, already came forward to take on the role of treasurer for the society, she said.
The Sea Fair board will meet again at the end of January to asses the volunteer situation and make a final decision.
If it does go ahead, Garden said the festival will likely be retargeted to focus on school-aged children, with attractions geared more toward families and a younger audience. It will be planned for July 22 weekend.
“It’s going to become a kids’ fair,” she said. “That’s really the only niche for Sea Fair, based on all the other festivals happening in town.”
For more information go to powellriverseafair.ca/helpneeded or email [email protected].
