Throngs of eager browsers and buyers will be doing more than picking up one-of-a-kind trinkets, clothing, accessories, collectables and snacks when they head out to Kempenfest this weekend, they’ll be supporting the community in a variety of ways.

The annual festival is not only a boon to local eateries, hotels and stores as many of this city’s service clubs count on the annual event to help support their projects and services.

For the Barrie Optimist Club, which runs the Optimist Antique Show and a concession stand, the three-day event brings in a substantial part of its annual budget.

“Kempenfest is definitely one of our biggest sources of income,” explained John Ritchie, a member of the Optimist Club’s board who also sits on the board of directors for Kempenfest. “As far as the Optimist Club is concerned, Kempenfest is our second-largest fundraiser.”

Bingo is still number one. He estimates the weekend will bring in between $15,000 to $20,000, a far cry from the amount raised at the first festival almost 40 years ago.

The largest outdoor arts and crafts festival started out as a Barrie Kennel Club dog show in Molson Park, he explained. There was a fence around the competition field which members of the Barrie Art Club used to hang their work.

The Optimist Club used an old army tent to run a food booth out of which they sold drinks and hotdogs. “They might have made $300 or $400,” said Ritchie.

Throughout this long weekend, the club’s 34 members will share in the duties of running the food booth and ensuring the antique show runs smoothly. “We do sell pizza and sausage,” said Ritchie, but water and pop are by far the biggest sellers.

The money raised is used to support a variety of projects and services the club provides within the city, many are youth-oriented.

One of the big projects this year is the installation of a large outdoor chessboard at Centennial Park, near the Lions pavilion. Last year, the club added three volleyball courts at Tyndale Park.

The club started the Barrie Soccer Club many years ago before turning it over to the city, and still sponsors three teams. It holds a Christmas party for the families involved in Candlelighters – a club that helps families of children diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.

It also runs an annual chess tournament, funds the Simcoe County Chess Club and Colours of Music, and contributes to the Barrie Young People’s Centre.

The Optimist Club isn’t the only service club and community organization that benefits from the festival. The Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary and Knights of Columbus clubs all run food booths, and the Huronia Rotary Club has a pancake breakfast Saturday morning and operates the beer tent.

The YMCA organizes a variety of children’s activities along Kempenfelt Bay’s south shore and uses the fees it charges for some of the activities to support its services.

“It’s a service-club-driven event,” noted Ritchie as Kempenfest is run entirely by volunteers.