Ladysmith Day truly a community-wide effort
Given the pleasantly cool temperatures and bright sunny sky, the 7th annual Ladysmith Day last Saturday would have been a nice experience if there had been nothing there to see and do.
But there was something to see and do, from bands on the big stage to horse and pony rides, food trucks, a car show, a corn hole tournament, face painting, bright, shiny fire trucks and ambulances, and 50 vendor booths touting arts, crafts, products and services. The Clay Motley Band and Phoenix 90 provided the music this year.
Getting that many disparate elements together for a successful event doesn’t come about by chance.
A small but dedicated group of volunteers makes this event happen every year, according to Frank Hammon, a key member of the organizing committee.
“I got involved in the beginning to handle publicity,” said Hammon, who works in Fredericksburg and has lived in Lake Caroline for 26 years.
The event was started by Eric Diebel with some seed money from the county and was spread out over a number of communities surrounding Ladysmith. Shuttles took people from spot to spot, which proved cumbersome, Hammon said.
The big field between the library and the YMCA in Ladysmith Village suits the event much better, Hammond said. The developer allows the use of the property, but the event is still very much a community-wide effort and no longer receives public funding.
Amy Oleberg of Evans Heating and Air rounded up the bands, and other community-minded companies, including Atlantic Builders, Rappahannock Electric Co-op, Union First Market Bank, Century 21 Classic, Luck Stone, Spear Builders, Hometown Realty, Aqua Virginia, Scrubbing Bubbles Car Wash and the Caroline Progress, pitched in with funding or in-kind services, Hammon said.
The Caroline Moose Club operated the Beer Garden and Century 21 the Wine Garden, which benefited Ladysmith Fire and Rescue. The YMCA sponsored the popular Kids Zone and St. Mary’s Church the moon bounce.
An enthusiastic group of volunteers clad in bright yellow shirts assisted the core committee on the day of the event.
Besides Hammon and Oleberg, members of the organizing committee included Katy Lux, L.J. Moyer, Jim Fullem and Jenny Curtis, none of whom live in Ladysmith Village.
“We can always use more people to help,” noted Hammon.
If interested, go to ladysmithdayva@gmail.com or call Hammon at (540) 845-9271.