Once again, the communities of Hillsboro and Marion will have an opportunity to put their best feet forward as thousands of guests come our way to take part in the Hillsboro Arts & Crafts Fair and Marion?s Art in the Park this Saturday.
These two events require an amazing investment of energy?both by event organizers and the many volunteers who assist. No one gets rich personally from these events, but both communities are truly enriched for the effort?first, by the economic boost and public exposure they generate, but also from the ?community building? that takes places as good people come together to accomplish a mutual goal.
We still hope the communities of Hillsboro and Marion can develop a more collaborative spirit for their events rather than a spirit of competitiveness. The fast-food industry has proven that ?competitors? clustered together in the same neigh?bor??hood actually increases the customer flow for each separate restaurant. In a similar vein, we think having two well-organized crafts fair within 10 miles of each would only enhance the attraction for long-distance participants, who could do a ?two-for-one? in the same trip.
Maybe that?s a future we can envision. ?DR
