Recently, officials of the Wabash Garden Fest announced that due to lack of attendance, the annual festival will no
longer continue.
The following statement was found on the group’s Facebook page:
“We regret to announce the ending of Wabash Garden Fest. We have enjoyed putting on this festival, but due to
falling attendance from the public and vendors, we have decided not to continue. Thank you for your participation or
attendance in the past years.”
During the past Garden Fests, the Chair Affair has also taken place.
With the discontinuation of the Wabash Garden Fest and after much thought, the Chair Affair committee has
decided not to continue with the Chair Affair.
Chair Affair committee members Chris Benson, Sara Correll and Diane Guenin sent out thank-yous in a press
release.
“We have enjoyed organizing this event for twelve years and providing the community the opportunity to show their
creative side. The support we have had has been nothing short of amazing.
The organizations that have received the auction proceeds were so appreciative. One of our favorite parts of the
event was presenting the checks to them,’ they said.
“There are so many that we need to thank. We thank Brian Howenstine and Wabash Hardware for providing a tent
for us each year. A huge thank you to Tony Stout and his family for donating their time each year to auction our
chairs. I know he got way more money for our charities then we ever anticipated.
“We have had several sponsors through the years. Thank you to Guenin Law, WING’s Etc., Benson and Son LLC,
AG Resolutions and Gallery 64. They donated monies for advertising, prizes and supplies. Thank you to the
businesses that donated prizes.
“The Wabash County Festivals Queen and her court and the ISFA Queen helped us out with voting, passing out
vendor breakfast and passing out awards. Many times, their parents would step in to help also. We thank them from
the bottom of our hearts. A big thank you to Bev Vanderpool for organizing her pageant girls to not only help us but to
run between the Chair Affair and the Kunkle Cruise In.
“Thank you to the Wabash Garden Fest for letting us partner with them and hold our event in conjunction with
theirs.
“We enjoyed the creativity that we saw every year. Thank you to the businesses, organizations and individuals that
designed and donated chairs for display, voting and the auction.
“Thank you to everyone that came to the Chair Affair to vote for their favorite entry. A huge thank you to those that
stayed for the auction and bought the masterpieces. What fun we had with the auction. Thank you to the Guenin and
Mattern families for not only entering chairs but buying many chairs. It was so much fun watching them outbid others.
And sometimes bidding against their own family members. Thank you to Amy Howenstine for always creating
beautiful chairs and sometimes more than one each year. We had so many that volunteered and we thank each of
you. If we have forgotten anyone, we apologize.
“We will miss planning this event and seeing all of you. Again, we thank the Wabash community for the support and
thank everyone for opening their hearts and wallets to benefit some many.
“There are so many other festivals in Wabash County and we ask you to support them in the same way you have
supported the Chair Affair.”