Its big event shut down by D.C., a Knights Ferry nonprofit looks to recoup with benefit
Held for three decades, the Knights Ferry Peddler’s Faire was prohibited again this year because of the pandemic.
The April event was denied a permit in January by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – which controls the property where the fair is held – when the pandemic was surging and restrictions remained tight.
So to make up some of the lost money the fundraiser gains for the nonprofit Knights Ferry History & Museum Associates, the group will hold a benefit yard sale on Sunday, May 1. It will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the museum parking lot behind the Knights Ferry Creamery at 17631 Main St.
The last Peddler’s Faire was held in 2019. And while other outdoor festivals are happening now that pandemic restrictions have eased, the fair was denied the permit, according to Carol Davis, treasure of the nonprofit group.
“For two years, we have been locked down, but this year we were hopeful the event could take place since it is an outdoor event,” Davis said in an email to The Bee. “We were shocked and disappointed that our request for a permit was turned down.”
An appeal for the permit also was denied in February, Davis said in a phone call.
The group also called on Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, and his office confirmed the decision came from Washington, D.C., Davis said.
McClatchy’s Washington, D.C., Bureau contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and received an emailed response from Luke Burns, public affairs specialist with the corps’ Sacramento District.
“The Knights Ferry History and Museum Association submitted for a special use permit at a time when our policy limited events to 50 people or less on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property. That policy recently changed and we would encourage them to work with the staff at Stanislaus River Parks to understand the new guidance and resubmit their request,” Burns said in the email.
But Davis said the museum group would need a permit at least three months prior to holding such a large event.
Davis said it always has had “a wonderful working relationship with the people” who work in Knights Ferry from the Corps of Engineers. “The chain of command isn’t keeping up with what’s going on in the communities, I don’t think.”
Davis said that though the Super Bowl was held in February, “the U.S. government wasn’t allowing parks to have events.”
The Peddler’s Faire traditionally attracts about 4,000 people, some who even show up as early as 6 a.m. with flashlights to get the best deals, Davis said.
It usually has about 90 booths featuring antiques, collectibles and homemade crafts on both sides of the Knights Ferry Covered Bridge, she said. “They have been a huge success for the community ... everybody loves to walk through the covered bridge.”
The event brings in about $6,000 annually for the nonprofit, which uses the money to make physical improvements to its building, Miller’s Hall, each year, Davis said. The fair is the group’s main fundraiser.
Miller’s Hall includes the ice cream shop that the group bought and restored in 1980s, the community’s post office, library and the upstairs Knights Ferry Museum, she said.
The yard sale hopefully will help pay the bills, Davis said, such as water, lights, insurance, fire protection and more.
Traditionally held the last Sunday of April, Davis said her group will apply for a permit again next year. “I sat in church Sunday and thought ... so many people could have enjoyed a beautiful event outside.”
McClatchy Congressional Reporter Gillian Rose Brassil contributed to this report.
