85th Library Fair opens its arms

The Woodstock Library grounds will be home to a bit of fantasy and above all, fun for all at the 85th Annual Library Fair on Saturday.

Welcome to Dreamland! That’s the theme this year when the fair opens at 10 a.m. and includes a range of activities until 5 p.m.

“The concept is a popup shop for a dreamscape,” said Friends of the Library Vice President Michael Hunt. “It’s going to be elements of mischief and fun that will create the real experience.”

Visitors will be greeted with a giant clock that runs backwards and trees will have posters with instructions for the next step of the adventure.

New this year is a virtual reality experience with an HTC Vibe headset that visitors can try, immersing themselves in another dimension.

Also new this year is a wristband for children so they can take part in the bounce castle, pony rides, virtual reality station and all the other attractions for one price, Hunt said.

As always, the fair will feature the same familiar destinations, but bigger and better, Hunt boasted.

“The clothing is going to be unbelievable this year,” he said. Browsers can find items ranging from $3 for $5 all the way up to “high-end boutique stuff,” Hunt said. Thanks to a generous donation, wedding gowns from a former bridal store will be sold, with half the proceeds going to the library and half to an animal shelter. The gowns, many of which are now vintage, were never sold and are good as new.

An old favorite from fairs past is returning. A donated old car will be parked across the street from the library and people can take a turn painting it. The car will then be donated to a charity.

Also making a return is the beer and wine truck plus food from Lekker of Stone Ridge and other establishments.

And of course, it wouldn’t be the fair with out the annual honorees. The Friends of the Library honor locals who have “donated their lives in some way to this community,” Hunt said. “We honor the poets and writers and musicians that make their home here.

This year’s honorees are jazz legend Sonny Rollins and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Sebastian.

Sebastian’s son Ben will take the stage around 3 p.m. and John will likely sit in on a few songs.

“It’s going to be completely different and yet so familiar all at the same time,” Hunt said.