After overwhelming success with its fall festival, Stanfield is celebrating again this Saturday with “Holiday Fun.”
Including activities for children, a free community dinner, hay rides and a 5K run/walk, “Holiday Fun” is a combination community event and fundraiser for Stanfield’s summer movies in the park. Community volunteers, local business owners and the Friends of the Stanfield Public Library are organizing the event.
“Our Fall Festival went so well that people wanted to try another event to finish raising money for Movies in the Park so that it all came from the community,” Stanfield Librarian Cecili Longhorn said. “This is just about doing something great for the community and something fun for families.”
The event begins with Santa’s Workshop at the Stanfield Public Library. From 2-4 p.m., children can build a toy, craft Christmas ornaments, decorate gingerbread cookies, write letters to Santa and have photos with St. Nick himself. The cost for Santa’s Workshop is $10, and that includes all materials.
At 4 p.m., the Winter Wonderland 5K Run/Walk will take off from Bard Park Bridge. The cost for the run is $5, and organizers encourage participants to “dress in the holiday spirit.” Hot cocoa will be provided at the end of the race, and a prize will be awarded for the best show of holiday spirit.
For those who would rather ride than walk, a “sleigh ride” hay ride will circle from the library to the “Stanfield Annual Amazing Light Show” from 4:30-6 p.m. The light show features thousands of holiday lights set to holiday music. The fee for the hay ride is a canned food item, which will be donated to needy families.
A free community dinner and auction will cap off the day at 6 p.m. at Stanfield Secondary School. The meal – paid for with funds raised through Christmas tree sales at the Stanfield Market – is free for all, and organizers are asking anyone interested to bring a potluck dessert for the auction.
The auction begins at 7 p.m., and, in addition to the desserts, Christmas trees decorated by local businesses will also be on the auction block. Bare Necessities, Main Street Market, Enjoy Style, Elephant’s Trunk, Banner Bank and the Stanfield Public Library will all provide a tree, complete with gifts, for the fundraiser. A 50-inch flat screen TV, donated by the Hermiston Wal-Mart Distribution Center, will also be raffled during the dinner. Raffle tickets are $5 and available at Stanfield businesses.
“The ultimate goal is to raise the rest of the money for Movies in the Park,” Longhorn said. “We’re at $1,900 right now from the Fall Festival, and if we can raise another $2,000-$3,000, that will be amazing.”
The community must raise at least $3,500 total to cover the cost of the projector and screen for Movies in the Park; additional funding would go toward movie licensing and a popcorn machine.
“This is all happening because of a great group of volunteers like Jason Sperr at Bare Necessities, Amy (Little) from Banner Bank, Kitty (Lamb) from the Post Office,” Longhorn said. “This wouldn’t happen without them. Stanfield has a group of community supporters that are excited about future prospects for Stanfield.”
