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Letter from Scott Christian,
Chair of the Delaplane Strawberry Festival
Chair of the Delaplane Strawberry Festival
Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Delaplane, VA
Delaplane, VA
16th Annual Delaplane Strawberry Festival- “a Gift from God- a Labor of Love”
First and foremost, we give thanks to God for the numerous opportunities the festival gives us to praise and thank Him for our many blessings, including the incredible fellowship we experience over the Memorial Day Weekend. What an incredible chance to get to know and to love each other as we schlep strawberries, paint faces, and greet visitors together.
Looking ahead to #17-- how do we keep something fresh and alive when we’ve been doing it year after year, while still keeping that traditional feel about it? Here are some ways we succeeded in creating that balance this go-round:
¤ Three of our relatively new families- the Langfords, Troetschels, and Loudens-- all assumed significant roles
in the festival, and they have brought new energy and ideas.
¤ We had the largest audience to date (400+) watch the National Strawberry Eating Championship where we
crowned a new amateur winner- “El Strawberrio Loco.”
¤ Jonathan Kruk, a storyteller and friend of Karla and George’s, entertained the visitors both from the stage
and at various places around the grounds.
¤ By surveying over 200 visitors, we discovered that 60% of them were first-time festival go-ers! This tells us
that the word is still getting out into the community.
¤ The Fauquier County Court Services Litter Team worked both days, giving our guys who normally do the
trash detail a needed break and a chance to work in other areas.
¤ The Democrat featured us in a front-page, above-the-fold article that described the festival as “bushels of
fun and games” and added it was “hard to beat an afternoon at the annual Delaplane Strawberry Festival.”
¤ Two schools (Wakefield Country Day School and Randolph-Macon Academy) helped us with the Children’s
Games, did a great job, and want to come back!
¤ Four of our own ran in the Anna C. Ringer 5K race - Marc Nobile, John Daniels and Cameron Allen were all
exceptionally swift on a fun and rugged cross country course, and Leslee, our parish administrator, won
her bracket!
¤ I can’t remember one serious rant from a visitor. But even given that there must have been a few, if 8,997 of
approximately 9,000 visitors were happy, this is nothing short of remarkable!
¤ Six AmeriCorps workers showed up as part of their community service project. They were so energetic
that one person thought there were eight of them!
¤ We escaped the hard rain that surrounded the park Sunday!
¤ We added two new raffle items (4 vineyard visits and a state park cabin).
¤ Dick McCarty went out to the park the Monday before the festival to check on the canopies for the stage
and found them trampled into the mud by cows that had gotten into the barn area. His response, and one
that represents Emmanuel as a whole? He was at Home Depot that afternoon buying materials to make
better and stronger canopies with the assistance of Ed and John!
¤ We moved the Welcome Tent and greeted festival-goers as they walked up the stairs.
¤ One of our grant recipients, Literacy Volunteers, doubled the number of volunteers they sent last year.
¤ We included a full-page ad for The Diocese of Virginia in the Festival Program.
¤ We forged a bond with Trinity Episcopal’s Stable Tour volunteers. They printed information on their ticket
about our festival and we had a full page ad for the 50th Stable Tour on our inside front cover. We’re not in
competition but working together to spread the Good News.
¤ Danimal the Stilt Man entertained crowds all weekend, including hands-on instructions!
¤ And finally, the magnetized car signs. Save them for next year. Of course for some, that means storing
them neatly in a closet between Easter baskets and July 4th flags. For others, they will get thrown in the
trunk. And finally, there will be those few who will still have them on their cars all year and by then they will
be permanently affixed!
So… take a well-deserved break, but be prepared for some surprises in 2010!
Faithfully,
Scott
First and foremost, we give thanks to God for the numerous opportunities the festival gives us to praise and thank Him for our many blessings, including the incredible fellowship we experience over the Memorial Day Weekend. What an incredible chance to get to know and to love each other as we schlep strawberries, paint faces, and greet visitors together.
Looking ahead to #17-- how do we keep something fresh and alive when we’ve been doing it year after year, while still keeping that traditional feel about it? Here are some ways we succeeded in creating that balance this go-round:
¤ Three of our relatively new families- the Langfords, Troetschels, and Loudens-- all assumed significant roles
in the festival, and they have brought new energy and ideas.
¤ We had the largest audience to date (400+) watch the National Strawberry Eating Championship where we
crowned a new amateur winner- “El Strawberrio Loco.”
¤ Jonathan Kruk, a storyteller and friend of Karla and George’s, entertained the visitors both from the stage
and at various places around the grounds.
¤ By surveying over 200 visitors, we discovered that 60% of them were first-time festival go-ers! This tells us
that the word is still getting out into the community.
¤ The Fauquier County Court Services Litter Team worked both days, giving our guys who normally do the
trash detail a needed break and a chance to work in other areas.
¤ The Democrat featured us in a front-page, above-the-fold article that described the festival as “bushels of
fun and games” and added it was “hard to beat an afternoon at the annual Delaplane Strawberry Festival.”
¤ Two schools (Wakefield Country Day School and Randolph-Macon Academy) helped us with the Children’s
Games, did a great job, and want to come back!
¤ Four of our own ran in the Anna C. Ringer 5K race - Marc Nobile, John Daniels and Cameron Allen were all
exceptionally swift on a fun and rugged cross country course, and Leslee, our parish administrator, won
her bracket!
¤ I can’t remember one serious rant from a visitor. But even given that there must have been a few, if 8,997 of
approximately 9,000 visitors were happy, this is nothing short of remarkable!
¤ Six AmeriCorps workers showed up as part of their community service project. They were so energetic
that one person thought there were eight of them!
¤ We escaped the hard rain that surrounded the park Sunday!
¤ We added two new raffle items (4 vineyard visits and a state park cabin).
¤ Dick McCarty went out to the park the Monday before the festival to check on the canopies for the stage
and found them trampled into the mud by cows that had gotten into the barn area. His response, and one
that represents Emmanuel as a whole? He was at Home Depot that afternoon buying materials to make
better and stronger canopies with the assistance of Ed and John!
¤ We moved the Welcome Tent and greeted festival-goers as they walked up the stairs.
¤ One of our grant recipients, Literacy Volunteers, doubled the number of volunteers they sent last year.
¤ We included a full-page ad for The Diocese of Virginia in the Festival Program.
¤ We forged a bond with Trinity Episcopal’s Stable Tour volunteers. They printed information on their ticket
about our festival and we had a full page ad for the 50th Stable Tour on our inside front cover. We’re not in
competition but working together to spread the Good News.
¤ Danimal the Stilt Man entertained crowds all weekend, including hands-on instructions!
¤ And finally, the magnetized car signs. Save them for next year. Of course for some, that means storing
them neatly in a closet between Easter baskets and July 4th flags. For others, they will get thrown in the
trunk. And finally, there will be those few who will still have them on their cars all year and by then they will
be permanently affixed!
So… take a well-deserved break, but be prepared for some surprises in 2010!
Faithfully,
Scott