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THE cancelled Fryerstown Antique Fair has been replaced with two fairs for next year’s Australia Day long weekend – and both will be held in Campbells Creek.
Stallholders banded together to create a replacement event after it was announced the Fryerstown fair would not go ahead due to fire danger fears, ending its 43-year history.
The new fair will be held at the Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve, and will be called the Campbells Creek-Fryers Antique Fair after the road between the two towns.
The new fair is not affiliated with the Fryerstown Trustees.
Stallholder manager Kim Rowlatt said they already had more than 100 stalls booked in for the event, which will be held over 20 acres.
“We have been able to partner with the Campbells Creek committee of management so there will be benefits for the wider area,” she said.
“It was really sad when the Fryerstown Antique Fair was cancelled. In this modern age, we lose a lot of institutions and if someone doesn’t put up their hand, then they’re gone forever.
“A lot of people discussed started another fair, but it just took a group of people to put up their hand for this to happen.”
The Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve was offered to the Fryerstown Trustees as an alternative venue, but they voted against relocating. The fair was cancelled when emergency services stated they could no longer support the event in Fryerstown in the middle of the fire danger period.
A second antique fair was planned for the Australia Day long weekend to run in conjunction with the Fryerstown fair.
It will still go ahead as planned at the Campbells Creek Community Centre, and be called the Campbells Creek Antique and Collectibles Fair, running on January 26 and 27.
Ms Rowlatt said there was no issue having two antique fairs in the same town on the same weekend.
“We’re happy with that, and feel we can co-exist,” she said.
The Campbells Creek-Fryers Antique Fair will be held from January 25 to 28.