The Ripon Historical Society got the OK Tuesday for the first-ever Antique Street Fair.

According to John Mangelos, president of the Historical Society, the goal for the May 31 event is to raise $5,000 necessary to paint the City of Ripon-owned Veterans Museum.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, the Antique Street Fair will be held on downtown Main Street, between Stockton Avenue and Acacia Avenue.

“The building is owned by the city and the money we raise will go towards the cleaning and painting (of the Veterans Museum),” said Mangelos. “We still might have to do additional fundraisers.”

He initially made a request to the Ripon City Council to either grant a waiver on the permit fee of $430 or for each council member to donate $86 to cover the cost of the fees.

The permit fee allows for Public Works and the Police Department to close off the street coupled with providing security for the event, according to City Attorney Tom Terpstra.

Elected leaders, however, were unable to grant the permit fee waiver based on the ordinance, as written.

Vice Mayor Elden ‘Red’ Nutt said even if council could allow for such a waiver that the request could “open a can of worms” to other non-profit groups.

Instead, he came up with a solution – purchase the paint for the building in which the city already owns.

Nutt and his colleagues agreed to fork out the $500 for the paint. They also voted unanimously on the street closure for the day of the event.

Mangelos mentioned that work on the Veterans Museum, located at 311 First St., will entail sandblasting the old paint, adding primer and applying Elastomeric exterior paint.

“We’re having the street fair just to raise money (for the project),” he said.

In addition, Mangelos is hoping that local merchants will also benefit as plans call for providing street fair visitors with discount coupons good for certain stores and restaurants.

“Either way, it’s a win-win scenario,” he said.