The Chateauguay Valley Antique Association (CVAA) has been a staple in the community for decades. With a goal to educate the community on the cultural history and agricultural roots of the area, each year they organize multiple events and are present at community gatherings across the region.
Lyndsay Maither has been involved with the CVAA since she was very young. Her mother, Judy Maither, is the current president, and both of her parents have been on the board of directors for years. A lot of her family has been heavily involved with keeping the organization going.
The CVAA usually has a float in the Huntingdon Fair parade, and Maither and her cousins have made many of them. To prepare for this year’s theme of “Back to our Roots in Cowboy Boots” she sought inspiration in old family albums. While combing through, she found pictures from 1994 and saw a float that was decorated with lots of gorgeous antiques. “My mom still had all of that stuff. She had the benches we sat on. She had the wheelbarrow. She had the afghans. We were able to just pretty much bring exactly what we had on the float. The only change was, [back then] we had a calf and kittens, and I switched that for a goat and chickens,” she says. Their float came in second place at this year’s fair.
Though this float was a blast from the past, there is a bit of worry looking at the future of the CVAA. Like many organizations across the Valley, the CVAA is struggling with finding people to take over once the current members retire. Maither says that one way they’ve been dealing with this is by engaging more in social media, in hopes of gaining the attention of a younger crowd. Maither does feel like a lot of young people are attending their events, but she is always looking for more ways to keep them engaged. “We just have to make it more so they can give their input,” she says. They also work with local elementary schools to get kids interested from a young age. At their annual antique show, they have started adding things like bouncy castles to make the events more family-friendly and get kids involved.
This year’s annual antique show took place on August 22 and 23. This event was full of different activities including live music, food trucks, interactive demonstrations, a flea market, antique cars, and a garden tractor pull on Sunday. Heritage Elementary School students sold drinks, and Franklin Elementary School students offered ice cream. Maither says, “It’s a nice atmosphere,” and emphasizes that it’s an all-ages event.
The CVAA is always looking for new members and new volunteers to help with future planning. To get involved, contact Lyndsay Maither at 450-288-3759, Judy Maither at 450-601-5652, or check out the Facebook page, Chateauguay Valley Antique Association, and contact them there.