The Richfield Wellness Fair returns to Spring Park on September 9
By WRILEY NELSON
RICHFIELD SPRINGS
The Richfield Springs Community Food Cooperative will hold its second annual Wellness Fair in Spring Park from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 9. The free event is nearly twice the size of last year’s inaugural fair, with 28 exhibitors on hand to educate audiences on a variety of topics related to human, animal and community health and wellness.
“The Cooperative Fair Committee has been working on this second edition since January,” said coordinator Maureen Culbert. “It took a ton of community involvement from individuals and organizations to make this happen. The fair has grown exponentially compared to last year.
Exhibitors will showcase exercise programs like yoga, Pilates and Reiki, CBD treatment and dementia care. The Otsego County Office of Aging and the Department of Health will have information booths on site, as will the Bassett Clinic and the Bassett Smoking Cessation Program. The SQSPCA will be on hand with pets for adoption, and Dr. Pam Lea, DVM, a retired Richfield Springs Garden Club veterinarian, will be on hand to answer any pet health questions you may have.
Dr. Lea will combine her two interests and provide information on animal-safe gardening practices. The Garden Club, one of the most active organizations in the village, will also present its reservoir project.
“We are in the process of installing a lot of native plants around the village reservoir,” Culbert said. “It’s about beautifying the city and making it better for everyone who lives there. It will also help us attract more visitors to businesses in the city. It’s ultimately about working together as a community and supporting each other’s efforts to make Richfield a better place.
Helios Care and Fenner Funeral Home will present different aspects of end-of-life planning and care. The Otsego County Sheriff’s Department will have a booth to fingerprint children. There will also be a number of fitness and community care related organizations including Clark Sports Center, Richfield Springs Youth Sports, Richfield Springs Community Center, Otsego Outdoors, and more. A bike rodeo for children ages 6-12 will demonstrate safe cycling and traffic practices.
“We’re expecting a much bigger turnout this year, in addition to the larger number of attendees,” Culbert continued. “We had some scheduling conflicts last year due to events in Sharon Springs and Fly Creek which attracted a large number of our potential attendees. This year should be very busy. Fortunately, the park and the surrounding streets have plenty of parking spaces available.
“Every city has its problems,” she concluded. “Many of these rural communities have issues with substance abuse, domestic violence and health issues from an older population. The idea of the wellness fair is that people should be able to find the resources to get help. The fair allows these resources to come to them. The Office of Aging, for example, will speak directly to seniors. This sort of thing will be especially important as these communities age; Many seniors might find it difficult to seek out these resources on their own in the digital age.
In addition to the food co-op, the fair is sponsored by the Richfield Springs Area Chamber of Commerce and the Otsego County Council of Representatives. For more information, contact Co-op or Town Supervisor Dan Sullivan.