St. Robert Fair Draws Eclectic Crowd

Lured to Shorewood by the promise of live polka music at the Fair, Angie and Jerry Friday danced their Sunday away to The Squeezettes, even when they were dancing alone (which was most of the time).

"You get a little shy, but you forget about it fast," Angie Friday said.

She and her husband are members of Seniorgee, the Milwaukee Bucks' performing dance team comprised of seniors over 60.

"When Jerry feels the music it's like a drug, she said. "We used to have a problem where we'd go to a festival and he'd hear the music and he would just want to run right out of the car."

Jerry Friday, who just retired last week, laughed and nodded in agreement.

"The rhythm just takes you over," he said. "You feel a mind body connection, and they just work together."

Residents of the east side of Milwaukee, the Fridays had never been to the St. Robert Fair but they plan on coming back.

The Fridays were part of an eclectic crowd of people from all over Milwaukee who ventured to Shorewood this weekend to enjoy the sunny weather, live music, festival games, shopping and traditional Milwaukee food and beer offered at the St. Robert Fair.

The fair even attracted small local business owners who sold their wares from tables in the basement of the church.

Lucia D'Acquisto started a retail business called Lucia's last fall selling women's accessories at house parties in the Milwaukee area. This was her first experience selling at a fair. It was an ideal location because she has been considering opening a shop on East Capitol Drive in Shorewood.

"I like Shorewood because it's close to the lake, close to downtown, and has a little more diversity than if I went north or south," D'Acquisto said. "Then I can have some flavor for everybody."

As fairgoers perused the tables, D'Acquisto easily made conversation with everyone and enjoyed advising potential customers on the best ways to wear her accessories.

"Try putting your hair behind your ear on one side, yes, and now tip the hat a bit to the side and let it sit back on your head," she said to one customer, adjusting the hat just so. "There, you look great."

For D'Acquisto, the joie de vivre in selling accessories is making customers feel good about the way they look and confident with their presence.

"I love people," she said. "I want you to love what you have. Sometimes you just gotta step out of the box a little and have fun."

While D'Acquisto took in her first St. Robert Fair, glass crafter Richard Schallack at the table next door reflected on the past 25 years of fairs he had attended and helped plan.

Schallack lives in Shorewood and sells stained glass, blown glass and glass pendants at local fairs as Creative Visions. 

"It gives me a chance to be creative," he said. "I can make things I think up. With glass sculpture, I can do anything."

A member of St. Robert's parish since 1971 and currently an usher, Schallack and his wife had run the fair for eight years in the 80s. He said the fair has traditionally been primarily about bringing the community together.

"Our idea was that this was friends getting together to have fun, and maybe make some money," he said. "Fundraising is great, but we like to have fun doing it."

Not much has changed since the earlier years of the fair, he added.

"It's pretty much the same. I enjoy being here and meeting with friends."

Though the fair always had games, Schallack said parishioners used to make their own, such as dime toss where contestants would toss dimes onto plates. As has become tradition, the fair this year had a line of tents with fair games and exceptionally detailed face paint, a stage for live music, and many food and beer tents. While in recent years the fair has provided other rides including a ferris wheel, this year there were only two inflated play tents.

New this year was the Holy Moly Money Raffle with a top prize of $10,000. All 1,000 tickets sold out at $50 each, and 100 people won cash prizes starting at $100.