This event is hosted by What's New Worship and Sponsored by YOUR COMMUNITY! The Purpose is Just Love and it comes from the inspiration of this verse. John 13:35 "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” JUST LOVE!!!!
We want to create Disney World for kids that will never experience Disney world! Games, Rides, Prizes, Shows, balloon twisters, face painters, and MORE! The best part is IT'S FREE!!!! THERE IS NO AGENDA... JUST LOVE! No one is handing things out or trying to make money! We have been loved extravagantly so we are trying to love extravagantly!
Waters, Snow-Cones, Pop-corn, Cotton Candy & Hotdogs ONLY .50 Cents!
Read last years article from the WinchesterStar
Credits to Winchester Star Brian Brehm:
A good rule of thumb: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
But there is an exception to every rule, and the Just Love Community Fair is it.
From noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, the Frederick County Fairgrounds was filled with an enormous variety of rides and attractions, all offered at no cost. In fact, the only reason attendees needed money at all was if they wanted a hot dog, bottle of water, cotton candy, popcorn or snow cone, each of which cost just 50 cents.
What's the catch?
There was none. No one at the event tried to recruit attendees to attend What's New Worship church in Winchester, even though it has organized the annual fair for a decade. No politicians were soliciting support, no sales people were collecting email addresses, no organizations were promoting their services, no nonprofits were requesting donations and no attendants were charging people to park. There was nothing but fun for families, no strings attached.
"When I grew up, we didn't have a lot of money," said Andy Combs, pastor of What's New Worship and founder of the Just Love Community Fair. "I would go to carnivals and stuff and there were always 'extras.' You would buy the [admission] band but then pony rides were $10 beyond what you already paid for. Or the trampoline thing would be another $10. Or you could go see the animals but you couldn't feed them because it was another dollar for a bag of food."
When Combs conceived the Just Love Community Fair, his intent was to offer a free Disneyland-type attraction for kids who may never get the chance to go to Disneyland.
It would be hard to exaggerate just how much there was to see and do at Sunday's community fair. Thousands of attendees were treated to water slides, inflatables, a zip line, rides in monster trucks, a petting zoo, a reptile exhibit, magicians, a NASCAR simulator, a foam party, pony rides, a DJ, giveaways of school supplies, an American Ninja Warrior challenge, a barrel train, a mechanical bull, a climbing wall and much, much more.
"It's massive, it's unreal," Combs said.
Thirteen-year-old Laken Webre of Winchester said her favorite activity was interacting with the snakes and lizards at the reptile exhibit.
"It was fun," Laken said.
Lincoln Luttrell, 8, of Winchester, said he had a blast on the water slides and riding in a monster truck whose cab elevated him about 6 feet above the ground.
To pull off each year's Just Love Community Fair, Combs and a squad of volunteers — particularly his wife, Christine Combs — solicit help, support and donations from local individuals, businesses and civic organizations. That can cover all the costs of the event, but even if it doesn't, the fair is still free for the community.
"We're literally just trying to love," Andy Combs said, noting the inspiration for the fair is a Bible verse from John 13:35: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Combs said everyone who helps out at the annual event, other than workers staffing the rides and attractions leased from Phantom Entertainment Services in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is a volunteer. About 25% of his 200-member church congregation were at the fairgrounds on Sunday, along with a few dozen area residents who just wanted to help.
"I probably have 50 or more personal friends that said they would come out and do a couple of hours," Combs said. "I don't know how to do a lot of things, but I know a lot of people."
One of those people is magician Jonathan Ford of 4 of Hearts Illusions, who has been friends with Combs since high school and comes out most years to perform for free at the fair.
"I'm amazed at how big it's grown," said Ford. "People block it out on their calendars to come out and experience the love of Andy and his church and the people."
"I've been coming the whole time they've had this," said 13-year-old Brandon Harbaugh of Stephens City while hustling to the concessions stand for an ice-cold drink to help cool him off.
Despite the day's 90-degree heat — several cooling areas with water misters, as well as sprinklers and water slides, were available for anyone who got overheated — anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 people were expected at Sunday's Just Love Community Fair. That's a stunning number considering the few hundred people who turned out for the inaugural fair at the Newtown Commons in Stephens City just 10 years ago.
"It grew to about 2,000 to 3,000 people there," Combs said, which necessitated subsequent events being moved to the much larger Frederick County Fairgrounds. "We've been here since 2019."
Combs said he will continue offering the free Just Love Community Fair with no strings attached, but should any attendees want to learn more about his What's New Worship church, all they have to do is ask.
"You might not need God right now, but maybe you'll remember the church that did something incredible and you'll check it out sometime," he said. "But that's not the motivation [for holding the fairs]. The motivation is just love."
https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/the-motivation-is-just-love-free-community-event-fills-fairgrounds/article_e2a367c4-2a0a-58a0-9338-3cb43c3714de.html
Also check out other Kids events & activities in Stephenson, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Stephenson, Entertainment events in Stephenson.
