Fun in the Sun at Colton Community Fair

Church and community members gathered at the Colton United Methodist Church Saturday, July 6, to celebrate with a community fair. This marks the second year in the church’s history that a community fair has been held on the church grounds. Attendees of the community fair varied in age but one thing was clear: there was something for everyone. Adults relaxed on the lawn, watching the children enjoying themselves with the various games and attractions at the fair. Some children laughed as they slid down the water slide while others waved from the tractor train they were riding. Others played the strongman game, competing with one another to see who could make the bell at the top ring out most. Adults looked on while enjoying the delicacies synonymous with carnivals: the corndogs, the shaved ice, popcorn, and refreshments. The fair also drew audiences from neighboring communities. Such was the case of Nick and Jerilynn Roma, Emma Gutierrez, and Willie Faulk, who came from the United Methodist Church in Muscoy. “We heard about it from an announcement at an Inland Empire Cluster Council, so we brought the kids,” said J. Roma and Gutierrez. According to Dennis Hemminger, the event organizer, the first fair was held six years ago in an effort to give back to the community. This effort brought about the collaboration between the church and a community partner, who provided most of the equipment used at the fair. “It’s all about the kids,” said Hemminger, who added that the goal for next year is to get an even bigger turnout.