From festive games and crafts to mouth-watering popcorn and other treats, there was something for every child and adult that flocked to downtown Dawsonville Friday night.
Dawson County Family Connection held its second annual “Family Fair” Aug. 11 at Dawsonville’s Main Street Park. The fair offered attendees a chance to enjoy a variety of games and other freebies while also learning about local nonprofits, churches and other organizations.
Later on in the evening, there was a free outdoor showing of the new “Super Mario Bros” movie.
Looking around the field of jovial children exploring the different booths, Dawson County Family Connection director Rebecca Bliss said the event was “definitely bigger than last year.”
“There’s anywhere from 400-600 people here,” Bliss said.
“We told every booth to have something kid friendly there, with everything [being] free and fun,” Bliss said. “Our initial goal was that if nothing else happens but families come out and they connect with each other, that’s a win. If they come out and then later connect with somebody in the community that might need a resource, that’s good, too.”
Bliss shared Tiffany Buchan from K.A.R.E. for Kids’ comment that while Friday’s event and the Mountain Moonshine Festival share many vendors, the Family Fair’s setup was “heartwarming” since children “can do anything they want to do” with the free activities available.
Dawson County Schools social worker Joey Schneider mentioned that she’d handed out brochures on the district’s mentor program and family services. She and others at the school system booth also fielded questions about childcare, afterschool programs, residency and transportation during the event.
“We’re trying to make sure that people know the school system has resources for students and families to access that they may not already know about,” Schneider said.
At the Dawson County Library’s booth, branch manager Stacey Leonhardt and her colleagues were avidly engaged in shaving cream painting with many of the kid visitors.
They also let folks know about the library’s free programs, as multiple parents asked about reading times for infants or toddlers.
With the school year having started and many families now back in the Dawson area, Leonhardt called the library’s presence at the fair Friday “a great opportunity to let them know what we have to offer.”
Families and individuals from at least Dawson, Lumpkin and White counties attended the Friday event. Likewise, a lot of the nonprofits and community group vendors serve Dawson, Lumpkin and Hall counties.
There were a number of organizations with a wider reach at the Family Fair such as area nonprofit No One Alone, which helps victims of domestic violence, or Rainbow Children’s Home, which takes care of teenage girls ages 12-18 who are victims of abuse and neglect.
Melinda Rollins-Frausto with Rainbow Children’s Home said the nonprofit serves the entire state but that most of its children come from north of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
The Place outreach coordinator Amy Palmer also hosted a booth for her organization, doling out lollipops and books donated by the Dawson County Women’s Club.
“I love our community, that we are so focused on families and that we can have a huge free, fun event for all families,” Palmer said. “There may be families that need resources, but there’s also families that come and share our resources.”
“This is a snapshot of the services that are in Dawson County, [all] in one place,” Palmer added, looking around the park. “So it’s super easy to see what’s available.”