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Registration open for 29th annual Back to School Fair

Registrants will receive a ticket to attend the Will County fair

Families and students flip through boxes of books Thursday during Catholic Charities' annual Back to School Fair in Joliet.

Families and students flip through boxes of books at a previous Catholic Charities' annual Back to School Fair in Joliet. This year's affair will be drive-thru and socially distant. (Eric Ginnard)

By Denise M. Baran-Unland

Registration is now open for Catholic Charities’ 29th annual Will County Back to School Fair.

The fair will be held on a drive-thru basis from 3 to 6 p.m. Aug. 5 at Joliet Catholic Academy, 1200 N. Larkin Ave. in Joliet.

The fair helps students from low-income households prepare for a successful new school year by providing them with backpacks filled with school supplies.

Preregistration is required and space is limited, so organizers are really encouraging would-be participants to register very soon.

A decade ago, the fair was attracting more than 4,500 people representing 1,600 families to receive haircuts, advice, school physicals, dental checkups along with games for children, free books and toys, screenings for speech and occupational therapy and a gym full of informational booths from organizations. People were lined up before 7 a.m.

The need hasn’t changed much through the years A 2018 Herald-News story said Catholic Charities estimated serving 3,700 people at its fair.

Registrants will receive a ticket to attend the fair. Register online at catholiccharitiesjoliet.org.

Will CountyEducationFairJoliet Area Historical Museum
Denise Unland

Denise M. Baran-Unland

Denise M. Baran-Unland is the features editor for The Herald-News in Joliet. She covers a variety of human interest stories. She also writes the long-time weekly tribute feature “An Extraordinary Life about local people who have died. She studied journalism at the College of St. Francis in Joliet, now the University of St. Francis.