by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS
Each year, Lacey residents ready themselves for a weekend jam-packed with every form of entertainment imaginable. Food, crafts, live music, giveaways, local vendors, car shows, you name it: The Lacey Spring Fun Fair brings it all to Saint Martin’s University every year. The intent is to strengthen community pride and identity while providing free, family-friendly entertainment to the South Sound. “I hope everybody gains an appreciation for their community,” said Jeannette Sieler, the recreation supervisor for Lacey Parks & Recreation. “I hope they have a chance to come out and have fun and meet people who live near them, (who) they can get to know in a fun way while seeing what Lacey has to offer.”
This May will mark the Fun Fair’s 30th anniversary. The milestone will be commemorated with pony rides, circus trains, ballistic swings, a “Jurassic adventure” playground and over 30 crafts, games and giveaway booths, all provided free to the public. Over 75 vendors will sell crafts and food. Sieler elaborated on what makes this year’s fair different from the last: “We’re holding a lip-sync contest, which I think is going to be a lot of fun. Folks can come out and take the stage. They can show us what they’ve got!”
With records of over 17,000 people in attendance in just one weekend, the festival is one of the largest in the state. It’s sponsored by the City of Lacey, Lacey Community Events and Saint Martin’s University, and each year continues to have a resounding impact on local communities. “I’m really excited about the caliber of events we’re able to offer this year thanks to our great sponsors,” Sieler told OLY ARTS. “We have a great lineup of free entertainment. We have two stages going all weekend long with different performers from Olympia and beyond.”
For the last 10 years, Sieler has been a part of the fair’s planning committee. She and 11 other individuals, most of whom are volunteers, spend an entire year coordinating and preparing for the festival. “They really give of themselves in order to make this a free event for the community,” Sieler said. “I go home feeling really excited to have been able to give the community this great experience.”
What: Lacey Spring Fun Fair
When: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, May 6;
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, May 7
Where: Saint Martin’s University,
5300 Pacific Ave. SE, Lacey
How much: free
Learn more: 360-481-4393 │ Lacey Spring Fun Fair