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HOLLADAY — Hundreds of volunteers have been working non-stop to prepare for the annual Carmelite Fair in Holladay Sunday.
The tables and chairs are in position, the prizes that will be sold at auction are nicely wrapped and even the corn is stacked and ready for cooking.
Fair volunteer Anne Tuckett said they have put endless hours into getting the fair ready.
"The work that we have put into this fair is just incredible. I think for the last week we have been here," Tuckett said.
Carmelite Nuns have lived and worshipped in Utah since 1952 and live cloistered lives. About 44 years ago Sister Mary Joseph, who passed away several years ago, came up with an idea.
"She decided that they needed to raise extra income and awareness of the Carmelite order that was in Holladay, Utah," Tuckett said.
It started as a small fund raising tea. But the Carmelite tea parties have since turned into the large fair, attracting upwards of 4,000 people each year. The monastery is self-sustaining, so they said the fair is very important.
This year's fair will feature many ethnic foods, music and dancing and lots of prizes, which will be sold in both a silent and live auction. The big prize at this year's fair is a new car.
The volunteers who plan and prepare for the event said it's a labor of love. They said they always look forward to the day of the event.
"There are a lot of people that we see once a year, a lot of the same people who come and help and volunteer and work that fair," said volunteer Mary Michael Langan. "It's like a family reunion once a year."
The fair will be held at the Carmelite Monestary at 5714 Holladay Blvd. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
