Prince William seeks “fixers” for first-ever repair fair

Don’t toss it. Fix it. That’s the concept for a new “fix-it fair” that could take place this summer in Prince William County.

The idea: have residents bring their slightly damaged or unworking items to the fair, have them repaired, resulting in fewer items being tossed into the county landfill.

Deborah Campbell, with the Prince William County Solid Waste Division, says she’s seen this type of event held in other communities, mostly along the U.S. west coast. In Virginia, Campbell says a similar fair was held recently in Reston. A similar event could be replicated in Prince William County, she adds.

“We thought this was a great thing to do in this area to promote, re-use and repair,” said Campbell. When an item is fixed by one of their fixers, it can be reused by the owner or donated.

Organizers aim to fix broken jewelry, torn clothing, and repair small furniture, small electronics, umbrellas, and eyeglasses at the fair. One caveat, warns Campbell, is not everything can be fixed. “We want to set reasonable expectations,” she told Potomac Local News.

Organizers are still in the early planning stages of this event, and their primary goal right now is finding seven to 12 “fixers” with a wide variety of skills who will perform repairs. Afterward, they’ll identify the types of supplies they’ll need to fix each item at one of about eight workstations that will be set up at the fair.

“In a perfect world, we’ll be able to match a fixer’s expertise with a specific need. For example, a fixer with expertise in fixing clothing would be able to replace a zipper,” said Campbell.

Pope said the accommodations they are considering for this event can hold seven to eight workstations.

No date or venue has been announced for the potential fix-it-fair, although organizers would like to see the event take place this summer. If successful, a fix-it-fair could happen two to three times per year, said Campbell.

Organizers are also seeking sponsors for the event, hoping to net companies that market to the do-it-yourself community. Whether or not the event is free to attend will depend upon whether or not a corporate sponsor is secured.

“We are looking for companies who market to the DIY community,” says Pope, “We would like this event to be free, but that is dependent upon sponsorship.”

The Prince William County Solid Waste Division is working with the nonprofit Keep Prince William Beautiful to organize the event. The division also hosts an annual Recycles Day and paper shredding events.