There are 3,500 pounds of freshly picked Okanagan Gala apples heading into the Civic Centre just in time for the annual Mennonite Fall Fair Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mennonite farmer sausage, perogies, Fair Trade coffee and gift items from Ten Thousand Villages will once again be part of the annual fundraising event that's been going for more than 30 years.
Put on by the Westwood Mennonite Brethren Church and its congregation of volunteers, the fair will see all the usual items, like handmade quilts, knitware and baked goods for sale.
To meet the demand of the ever-popular baking, Westwood church teams up with sister church Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship as they import a van load of goodies to help support the fundraising efforts.
"In the handicrafts section we have one lady who makes fun items for children," said Diane Fairservice, advertising and promotions liaison for the fair for the last eight years. "She's made food items out of felt, so kids can make a hamburger or a cake by piling the ingredients."
Tradition is hard to beat during an annual event that's been in the community for decades.
"Some people walk in the door and head straight for the garage sale every year," said Fairservice. "For people who are looking for unique items, there's a silent auction with good quality new and used items. There's always nice things there."
For lunch there's the full meal deal that includes traditional Borscht, farmer sausage on a bun, dessert of choice and a beverage available at the food court.
All proceeds go to charity, with 90 per cent going to the Mennonite Central Committee that does relief projects across the world and the remaining 10 per cent of the profits go to the New Life Centre, which is a downtown drop-in centre for the homeless, the Ness Lake Bible Camp bursaries, and the Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship at UNBC.
As always, it's free to get into the fair.
