History of the Scarsdale Congregational Church Fair
By Elizabeth Taubert in 1994
In the mid 1940's women such as Betty Carret and Effie Longley wanted a sanctuary.
The men were reluctant to start building a sanctuary until the church had more of a
"nest egg", but the women said, "We want it now before our youngsters are
grown. We will do something to help." The Election Day Bazaar, as it was
then called, was born.
The women were very successful, having worked all year making the items to be sold.
In addition to what we now have, they had many other booths: dried arrangements,
dolls, doll clothes, hats. Schools were closed on Election Day, so the Senior
Youth Fellowship ran the games booth and waited on tables for lunch and dinner.
In the parking lot across Heathcote Road, the Junior High Fellowship cooked
hamburgers, hot dogs, and sold popcorn they had made.
It was a wonderful opportunity for the women to get acquainted while working all
year to make the bazaar so successful. The young people enjoyed their participation.
The facilities in old Dyckman Hall were inadequate, to say the least. It was an
auditorium with theatre-type seats attached to the slanting floor. The husbands
came over on Sunday afternoon and unfastened every other row of seats, hoisting them
up to the balcony. The tables were set over the remaining rows. The salespersons
stood in back of the tables and the customers in front.
Then one evening after the bazaar, the men came back to lower the seats and fasten
them down again.
Lunch was served, and three seatings of dinner were served on the stage which was
on the same level as the present Youth Room. The Youth Room was partially used
for dinner.
The kitchen was smaller than the Carret Room, and there wasn't an electric dishwasher.
Most food was prepared at home. Turkeys were roasted two days before. The day before
they were carved; the large pieces were used for dinner, and the smaller pieces for
turkey salad for lunch. Several women cooked 15 pounds of potatoes, mashed them at
home, and brough them to the church hot to be put in the electric roasters.
It was a highly organized operation!!!
A sizeable gift was made to the sanctuary building fund, and bazaar money bought the
carpet, pew cushions, chandeliers, and the tables for the narthex.
After the completion of the santuary, Dyckman Hall was enlarged and renovated - now
with two floors. Bazaar mooney was donated to the building fund and also furnished
the kitchen and the Boynton Room.
As we all got older, it was decided to change the name from Guild Fair to All Church
Fair, hoping to get more participation; however, many of the same women have been
booth chairpersons for many, many years.
Until 1955, 100% went to our own church projects. Then we were doing very well, so in 1956
five percent went to benevolences. The percentage to benevolences increased steadily to
65% in 1967. But as times got tough, it went down, and now the full amount goes to
the operating budget.
In the first 47 years of its existence, the bazaar/fair netted almost $500,000.
We have helped many people have better lives because they could buy the clothing,
furniture and other things at prices they can afford. Also, much of the clothing
was purchased to be sent to poor relatives overseas.
The customers have remarked that they enjoy and benefit from our bazaar/fair. They
also comment on how very pleasant and helpful are the people who staff this event.
