Halfmoon Lake Community Hall

By Brandie Majeau

              On March 25^th, Halfmoon Lake Community Hall held its first market of the year.  This spring market offered shoppers a variety of goods, including clothing, gifts, food and unique home items, from twenty-two different vendors.  While people enjoyed what the market had to offer, they also had the opportunity to purchase memberships for the hall.  These memberships not only allow patrons the ability to rent the hall but also ensure Halfmoon Lake Community Hall’s survival.  The money from these memberships goes towards the general maintenance and repair and utilities.  More memberships are also useful when applying for grants.  The numbers speak for themselves; almost every weekend for the summer and fall is already booked with event rentals.

              Halfmoon Lake Hall, which began as a one-room schoolhouse, is managed by a small volunteer board and hosts a spring, fall and winter market each year, as well as four bingos.  There are also hopes that they will be able to hold a couple of dances this year as well.  Whatever the event, their focus remains the same: to keep them family friendly, affordable and fun for all ages.  Often, rural areas lack opportunities for entertainment, and this tries to give them a little bit of that without having to go far from home. They also strive to bring generations together instead of separating them, to encourage youth volunteers to give back to their community, to gather as families, to mentor and learn, and to share connections and experiences that can only be found when generations mix.

              The Halfmoon Lake Community Hall board members have said, “Our hall is a place for families and community to gather, a place of celebration.  A place to reconnect and recharge. It is a place where stories are told, history is shared, memories are made, and relationships cherished.”