New health-focused festival a sweet addition to Concrete’s seasonal lineup

Street fairs are known for combining the best of local music, arts and, above all, food in the spring and summer months. But on Saturday in Concrete, you won’t find elephant ears or garlic fries.

The new United General Hospital-sponsored Cement City Street Fair instead will bring tasty but healthy treats in place of the deep-fired, sugary fare of most festivals, along with free health screenings and information on how to improve health through diet and exercise.

“This one’s a little different in that we’re going out to the community and setting up a whole event that has a healthy twist to it,” said Valerie Stafford, president of the Concrete Chamber of Commerce.

Stafford knows a little bit about health. When she’s not promoting Concrete’s commercial offerings, she’s working as United General Hospital’s director of communications.

With the festival largely funded by the hospital, Stafford is working with area merchants to create a health-focused event.

At the Red Cedar Inn on Main Street, owners Buzz and Sharon Stratton say street fair visitors will find a range of some admittedly less-healthy comfort food — along with some balanced meals with fresh fruit and vegetables. They’re preparing to push their chef’s salad — a long plate of fresh vegetable, thin slices of meat and cheese, and a raw egg.

“I think it’s the largest chef’s salad in the valley,” Buzz Stratton said.

Stafford said this is the kind of food she wants to push — a mix of different kinds of goods.

“You need to eat a variety of food so you get lots of different things,” she said.

Stafford said the hospital will promote healthy ingredients and modest portions at the event.

“Part of what the hospital wanted to get across is the small changes you can make with your diet,” she said, noting that eating healthier and a little less can make a difference.

But the festival won’t be without some sweetness. Along with the Red Cedar’s strawberry pie, which is essentially a bright red pile of whole strawberries in a crust with some whipped cream on top, attendants can grab sugar-free sno-cones.

Stafford said United General will be on site to offer blood-pressure checks, lung screenings and fitness tests. Throughout the day, Stafford will host a scavenger hunt to encourage people to get on their feet and move.

Health is multifaceted, Stafford said. So the street fair includes events that nurture both mind and spirit, with poetry readings and music.

“We’ve never done anything like that,” Stafford said. “It’s a different way to think about health. It’s not just about your body. It’s about your mind, it’s about your spirit.”

She scheduled the event to coincide with the Concrete Airport Fly-In, when small-plane fliers can come and check out the east end of the county all weekend. She said tying the two events together should bring more attention to the Concrete area.

Although Concrete grew 4.9 percent between July 2006 and July 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, many people still aren’t aware of what the area has to offer, Stafford said. Local businesses struggle to entice customers to stop in.

Airport manager Jack Mears said the 26th annual Concrete Airport Fly-In usually draws 100 to 250 planes, and he’s hoping the street fair will bolster those numbers. He’s arranged transportation to bring fliers from the airport to downtown on Saturday, and to downtown restaurants from Friday through Sunday.

Mears said he hasn’t seen so much activity take place in Concrete all at once.

“The street fair should be a real winner,” he said.

Aaron Burkhalter can be reached at 360-416-2141 or .