The Sooke Fall Fair is excited about our theme for this year, ‘Science in Action” and celebrating the International Year of Forests.
Science is all around us and we use it every day whether we are baking scrumptious cakes and pies or arranging different plants together to help ward off harmful bugs. Making sure the soil composition is correct and adding compost (natural fertilizer) allows plants to thrive and give delicious and nutritious fruit and vegetables or the biggest pumpkins or blooms on flowers. The cute and cuddly cavy, rabbits or perfect poultry need extra special care, nutrition and attention to be the best in show. There are the special fermenting processes that fruit and grains go through to give us the best beer and finest wines.
The process of dyeing fibres can be natural or with the help of science to colour fabrics and yarns to create exquisite quilts or superb shawls and needle works. Photographers use the eye of the camera to capture nature or people in breathtaking poses we want to share and may otherwise miss out on. Digital enhancing allows pictures to stand out and give us a completely different point of view from the creator. Carvers and hobby crafters can take burls or fine cut wood to create beautiful furniture or treasured pieces of art. Turn the lathe gently to form beautiful bowls and utensils to last a lifetime.
The T’Souke Nation will also have displays of traditional art and carvings and explain the uses and importance of the cedar tree in their culture past and present.
Clay Whitney from the BC Fruit Testers Association will be at the fair on Saturday to help you identify the apples you have growing in your garden or give advice on how to prune your fruit trees.
You could be the designer of the fastest, custom made zucchini for the Great Sookeini Race on Saturday, September10. Get your thinking caps on, find the perfect costume and practice your tricks, as another family favourite tradition is the Kids and Kritters Pet Parade on Sunday, September11.
This year’s catalogue will be available soon and coming to a store near you. A very talented student from Journey Middle School, Bri Martin, did the art work for the 2011 cover. Her brilliant design will have one’s imagination reeling for creative works to be entered into this year’s fair.
This will be our second year that we require advance entries and this year’s date will be September 2. We have taken modern science and technology to go green and make it easier and faster for you and our volunteers to enter your articles. If you can get your entry in by August 21, then you can come to the Fall Fair Flea Market at the community hall on August 27 to pick up you tags. You may drop off your entries at Shoppers Drug Mart or mail them to the Sooke Fall Fair Association at P.O. Box 291, Sooke, BC V9Z 0S9.
It is now up to you to create, bake, grow or compose your own works and think recycle, green and science.
Everyone is invited to come and enjoy ‘Science in Action’ and celebrate the International Year of Forests at the Sooke Community Hall on September 10 and 11. Admission is by donation and you may win the door prize of a gift certificate from the Brooks Christmas Tree Farm in Sooke. See you at the fair.
Candace Linde President, Sooke Fall Fair