NORWAY - Food and fun will mark a food co-op's 30th birthday this month and into August.

The Fare Share Market will begin holding special events Saturdays starting July 12 and running until Aug. 9. The celebration will kick off the co-op's capital campaign and aims to raise $10,000.

Gail Benvenuta, the celebration's organizer, said the events will recognize contributions made to the community by residents and businesses.

"There's a lot of folks who have seen this baby through all 30 years," Benvenuta said.

Events kick off July 12, coinciding with the Sidewalk Art Festival. Discounts will be offered at the Fare Share, and the co-op will have a table at the festival's food court.

On July 19, a dinner and silent auction will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Commons Art Collective, which adjoins the store. The dinner theme will be 30 Flavors of the Mediterranean.

On July 26, a local vendors day will run through 3 p.m., and vendors from the area will be on hand to give food samples and answer questions. At 4 p.m., the store will host a natural foods indulgence cook-off in the Commons Art Collective.

"It's not your typical chili cook-off," Benvenuta said. "Our intent is to highlight how good natural foods can be."

The Holistic Health and Wellness Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot behind the Fare Share. The fair will highlight alternative health methods, including Tai Chi, yoga, and acupuncture. Practitioners will give periodic 20-minute presentations throughout the day.

Events conclude on the evening of Aug. 9, when a dance will be held in the parking lot.

"It's a big birthday party," Benvenuta said.

Fare Share is also planning to present films in the Commons Art Collective on Thursday evenings beginning on July 17.

The co-op's origins trace back to the early 1970s, when groups of families gathered in a member's barn to order cases of produce. That evolved into the Fare Share Co-op, which had a storefront in Paris in 1978. In 2001, the store moved to Main Street in Norway with the help of a community development grant from the town.

The store offers natural and locally grown food and products as well as bulk products.

at a lower price with less packaging. General Manager Claire Gelinas said major decisions at the store are made by members, while a board of directors meets monthly to help carry out the vision of the members.

Gelinas estimated that the co-op has about 300 members.