Delhi Fall Fair brings back parade, battle of bands

Danielle Holmes, left, and Debbie Lord prepare to launch 250 plastic ducks into Big Creek at the Quance Park dam. Prizes for the fundraising duck race went to first, second and third. 

Chris Abbott

Grant Haven Media

The Delhi Fall Fair made a comeback, Sept. 17-20, bringing back some old fair traditions – and some new ones.

“It’s a revamp,” said Debbie Lord, president of the Delhi Fall Fair. “We geared it more towards kids – we had the bicycle decorating contest for the parade, and we had a soap box derby. Inflatables downtown and a kids zone.

Some highlight included a three-day Battle of the Bands, Thursday to Saturday, a parade on Saturday morning, and a new fundraising Duck Race at the Quance Park dam on Sunday, Sept. 20. A few vendors and inflatables set up on Main Street, and there was face painting.

“The parade was bigger than we actually thought it was going to be, which was nice.

“And the (Battle of the Bands) Thursday and Friday night, it was pretty good,” said Lord. “Unfortunately the winner couldn’t play Saturday night, but we already have a plan to get the three bands to play. It will be a Halloween Party on Oct. 31st at the Polish Hall, starting around 7-8 p.m.”

“We’re trying, we’re trying,” Lord laughed as she and Danielle Holmes prepared to launch 250 plastic ducks into Big Creek. “The weather does not like cooperating.

“I grew up in Delhi and I remember the Farmer’s Fest every year, and you just hear about all of the communities around you – ‘they all have something why don’t we?’ We had to bring it back.”

Lord said they plan to bring the fall fair back next year.

“I’m hoping bigger,” she smiled. “Oh yeah, we’ll be starting to plan again in about two weeks as soon as we fine-tune this one.”