The Seniors Info Fair with a 50s flair will flood Kin 3 during the exhibition Thursday, August 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission into the B.C. Northern Exhibition is half price for seniors on Thursday at $5 and the information fair is included in admission.
The 41 exhibitors' booths in the eight annual seniors' info fair will be geared for those 55 years and over, and seniors-in-training are welcome as well.
Along with the usual exhibitors like Canada Purple Shield, the P. G. Brain Injured Group and the Elder Citizens Recreation Association, there will be some new exhibitors including the Better At Home Program, John S. Beverley & Associates to offer financial advice, and Northern Health: Community & Residential Services representatives will have a presence, too.
"We're really excited to have Northern Health at the fair so people can ask questions directly," said Lola Dawn Fennell, manager of the Prince George Council of Seniors, who is organizing this information fair. "We're also happy to have John Beverley & Associates because we're aware seniors are more pinched financially all the time and struggling with debts of all kinds, perhaps lifetime debts or unexpected debts and he can help."
Being placed in Kin 3 offers more space to the seniors info fair, that was in the CN Centre's concourse last year. The Council of Seniors will take full advantage of the extra room.
"In keeping with the 50s theme we will have the T-Bird Cafe in Kin 3 that will be free for seniors and by donation for seniors-in-training," said Fennell. "We'll have waitresses in little red and white gingham aprons serving coffee, tea and cookies."
There's a small stage in Kin 3.
"At 11:30 there will be a Vintage Apron Fashion Show and we've got aprons from as far back as the 1930s right through to the present," said Fennell. "To me aprons really connect to the fall fair. I still wear an apron every day. I don't live on the farm any more but that's me. When I lived on the farm the apron was useful for picking peas out of the garden, fetching eggs and wiping a kid's snotty face. They are wonderful, wonderful garments."
At 12:30 there's a hula hoop competition.
"We thought it might be fun to let people try it out and make a little competition out of it," said Fennell, who said they'll have a little 50s music to inspire some hula action. "You gotta have a laugh and who knows? We might find some seniors that are darn fine with the hula hoop."
At 1:30 there a 50s dance showcase. Paz Milburn and dancers from Dance North will strut their stuff to pay tribute to the era.
When fair goers come to the info fair, they will be given a passport to take with them from booth to booth and when they are done, they can enter their passport into free hourly draws.
Also on the passport is the option to vote for their favourite booth, the best 50s themed booth, the most interactive and the most colourful. The winners will be given awards for their efforts.
At 5 p.m. the Council of Seniors summer raffle grand prizes will be drawn. First place is $500 worth of patio furniture, second prize is a barbecue worth $320, and third prize is a picnic cooler on wheels worth $179.
"So it's going to be a big day with lots going on and lots of information to find," said Fennell. "We don't have a budget for this event but we do all work together at the council to put it together with thanks to a big wack of volunteers that help us out for the day."
