By Paul Showalter

The 100th Spring Fair was a beautiful day filled with fun, sugar, and ponies.

Setup for the Fair began on Friday with several people (David Grahn was a workhorse on both days) bringing all the tables and supplies out of the basement. Darcy Rosenbaum (our Spring Fair chair) (and son Benton) prepped the center for a day’s worth of fun.

Saturday morning started early for a bunch of us, to make sure the day went off without a hitch. And it was a spectacular day. The sun was shining; the park was full of kids playing games and bouncing in the bounce house; cookies and other baked goods were sold at the Woman’s Club bake sale; Troy’s pizza slices were flying out of the oven and into hungry mouths; Llama’s and chickens were painted on faces; popcorn, water and cotton candy were sold; and prizes were exchanged for prize tickets. We played numerous games of “Cake-A-Bout” in the sun (John Rosenbaum handled the MC duty like a pro). Our very own Layla Moustafa painted all the kids faces this year. She did another excellent job.

There were 10 different games for kids to play this year. This year, we were able to secure a petting zoo and pony rides for the children. There was always a line for the ponies, and the petting zoo animals fascinated the kids. This was sponsored by Bicycling Realty Group (Natalie Roy).

This event, like every event at Lyon Park, could not happen without a large group of volunteers. Many neighbors stepped in to help, and it was appreciated. We had several high school and college volunteers with us on Saturday. Leo Pegoraro was incredible all day on Friday and Saturday. We even had a crew of Middle and Elementary school students (Alex and Helen Peters (with their mother Claire), Benton Rosenbaum, and Dhilan and Ankush Bahl) running games. All volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the day to make sure everyone had fun—and we appreciate their efforts.

Special thanks to Theo Roiniotis and Billy Hans for sticking around and helping with the cleanup. They helped to pack away games, tents, and tables. They even carried everything into the basement. An extra special thanks goes to my wife Sharon, for not only helping with setup on Friday night, but working all day all over the park, and cleaning until the last box was packed away in the “little blue pickup truck.”

Darcy Rosenbaum works tirelessly to produce an outstanding event for the community. We are lucky to have someone so committed to our neighborhood and willing to get involved.

If you like the Lyon Park t-shirts you see in the picture and want to purchase one, reach out to me at LyonParkEvents@gmail.com.

If you have a rising Freshman, sophomore, junior or senior who wants to volunteer in our community, have them reach out to LyonParkEvents@gmail.com. We have many volunteer opportunities during the Summer and Fall.