Pippinfest ‘in the black’

(10/26) The annual Fairfield Borough Pippinfest seems to be headed-back on the right track after slumps reported in previous years.

Sally Thomas, who serves as the chair of the Fairfield Borough Pippinfest Committee (which consists of some eight or more regular members), stated previously that, until last year, the event began to experience a slump in participation and attendance.

But this year, the event has begun to make it “into the black,” after a success last year that still came in “in the red,” Thomas told the borough Council at their October 24 meeting.

This year’s event was held September 28 through September 30. September 28 consisted primarily of town-wide yard sales, a tradition on the Friday before the “official” Pippinfest event, while the main attractions were held the following Saturday and Sunday.

“We did a little better than last year,” Thomas informed the borough Council. “We are not in the hole, which is very nice.”

The event committee chair said this year’s Pippinfest generated “close to 1,400 profit,” although a couple of expenses need to be paid, which would take the profit down to around $1,200 or $1,300, she said. “We’re (now) operating in the black.”

Thomas said there were no complaints from property owners, who had complained of litter and trash during prior events, and one minor concern when a vendor found a portion of their proposed sales area roped-off for grass plating.

One of the objectives for next year’s even, she said, was to try and “fill in gaps along Main Street” between yard sale and sidewalk event areas, and to paint house numbers along the curbs for vendor numbers instead of the numbering system that has been previously used.

Noting that more younger individuals were becoming involved in assisting the event, Thomas stated, “It’s pulling people from the community together. It’s starting to feel like the community event it is supposed to be.”

Apple harvest-themed Pippinfest was the brainchild of David Thomas, former owner and proprietor of the Fairfield Inn, who in 1980 suggested the creation of such a community event to help bring community members together. This year marks the 32nd year the event has been held since.

Pippinfest takes it’s name from the Pippin apple. Not everyone is in agreement on the history of the Pippin apple. Some say it was developed in England and subsequently introduced into the colonies.

Others state the apple, also known as the Newtown Pippin, was actually developed in the 1730 in the area of Newtown, New York, and that it was later in the 1800s imported to England.