DALTON, Mass. — Grab your dancing shoes and get gussied up for Dalton Lions Club's inaugural Country Fest fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the Stationary Factory. 

 

This event is a win-win for everyone, said Robert Bishop Jr., Lion's Club entertainment committee member. 

 

"[The Stationary Factory] is a happy place," he said. "The sound system is good. People like coming here. It's local. They don't have to travel a long way, and they can come and have fun."

 

Attendees not only have fun but also support Dalton Lion's programming, which benefits and addresses the community's needs through scholarships, charity donations, and connecting people to resources, said Bishop and Paul Tabone, a Lion's Club entertainment committee member. 

 

The idea of a country festival stemmed from Bishop's conversation with the venue's events manager, Abe Guthrie, and assistant events manager, Lisa Guthrie, who recommended they do a country thing. From there, all the pieces fell into place. 

 

The event will feature live performances from Hotshot Hillbillies, Whiskey Sour, and Kollin Kozlowski. Dust off your dancing shoes and learn to square dance with Cliff Brodeur and Terry Hall. 

 

All the dancing is sure to tire you out, but the Lion's Club has that covered, too. Local restaurant Biggins Diggins will be on site to sell its homemade brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken sandwiches, ribs, mac and cheese, cornbread, and other food. 

 

Tickets are currently being sold. The first 100 tickets are only $25. After that, they will be sold for $30. Despite over 1,000 people commenting they were interested there's plenty of tickets available, Bishop said. 

 

"If you can get your tickets early, it helps us plan for what we need, for materials, what I need for help here, and what [Biggins Diggins] will need to prepare food and stuff," he said. 

 

The organization's recent upticks in events are a big leap from what it had done in the past, Tabone said. 

 

The traditional method they used included door-to-door sales or donations and raffles, which did not make as much money, Bishop said. 

 

However, as club memberships shrank and the closure of the Berkshire Mall, where the raffles were on display, these methods became more difficult, and they had to think of new ways to raise money, he said. 

 

Country Fest combines the club's traditional fundraising methods with new ones. During the event, the Lions sell raffle tickets for a chance to win baskets filled with various goods. 

 

There will be eight to 10 baskets, sometimes themed. For example, they previously had an Italian basket filled with pasta, sauces, olives, and a bottle of Chianti. The content of the baskets is up to the creators. 

 

There will also be bottles of wine, cases of beer, hard cider, a lottery tree, and a 50/50 raffle. 

 

The Lions needs at least 200 attendees in order to start generating a profit from the event. All the profits will go towards the organization's programming.

 

The Lions have undertaken several initiatives to support its community, including donating bikes to the Dalton Bike Rodeo, providing scholarships to Wahconah High graduating seniors, offering assistance with eyeglasses and hearing aids for residents of Dalton in need, supporting local food pantries, and much more.

 

"One of the neatest things in my experience with the Lions, this little girl came to a meeting one night, and we had bought her hearing aids, and she came and gave me a big hug because she could hear her lessons for the first time ever. It just broke us all up, and that's what it's all about," Bishop said.

 

"It's just giving back to the people of Dalton because this is a great community, and that's what we want to do. We want to support this community, and they support us. Fundraising is challenging, so this is why we started doing concerts."

 

Bishop has worked for the Stationary Factory since its inception when Steve Sears purchased the building. He and Sears previously worked together, he said. 

 

He helped with various tasks as the facility was being set up, and today, he serves as an event coordinator for the volunteers. 

 

This connection with the venue and his nephew, Terry Bishop, the owner of Biggins Diggins, facilitated the opportunity to host events like the Country Fest. 

 

If the event is successful, they hope to have it held annually and possibly making it a multi-day festival.