OAKFIELD – Wet weather aside, the annual Oakfield Labor Daze remains one of the area’s favorite end-of-summer celebrations.
People flocked to Triangle Park in Oakfield to celebrate the weekend and give back to the community.
Despite the rainy weather on Sunday and Monday, which caused the cancellation of the parade, it didn’t stop residents from showing up and supporting their area.
Carrie Ohlson of Oakfield didn’t let the rain stop her as she walked around looking at crafts with her kids. He had been going to Labor Daze all his life and had spent this weekend coming to the various events.
“My son spent most of the day yesterday in bounce houses,” she said, keeping dry under a large umbrella. Ohlson said he enjoyed receiving the food, particularly the chips and fried dough.
Labor Daze kicked off with a 5K run/walk on Saturday and a Kiddie Fun Daze. On Sunday there was a church service and a car cruise to end the day with a magnificent fireworks display.
Monday continued the craft show that started on Sunday and although the parade was cancelled, the day also featured an evening basket raffle and ticket raffle. All three days featured live music and food vendors.
Joe D’Alba, a board member of the Oakfield Improvement Committee, said the most important thing is that nonprofits run the booths that allow them to raise money for their own organizations.
Oakfield Labor Daze was started in 1983 by Sue D’Alba, Ray Cianfrini, Ann Engel and Dean Waldron to pay tribute to the town’s old fire parade. It was also around the time that the Oakfield Improvement Committee started and started putting money back into the community.
D’Alba said they started by putting up Christmas lights in the village before helping fund the gazebo that was dedicated to Oakfield and the clock tower in Triangle Park. Last year, the Oakfield Labor Daze made $15,000 that went toward putting up Christmas lights in Memorial Park.
“All of this is possible because of sponsorships and donations, and we put the money back into the community,” D’Alba said. “We could not do this without the support of the community, volunteers and sponsorships. You don’t have to spend the whole weekend here, just popping in for something to eat or buy something at the craft fair will help.
This year they are talking about allocating the proceeds to Christmas music in the village and putting lights around the gazebo. They will also be hosting a Halloween party and turning Pudgie’s Greenhouse into a haunted house for October.
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