Over 70 years ago, a group of local farmers gathered to envision a now-revered tradition in the Southern End: the Solanco Fair. The farmers wrote letters to prominent members of the community such as the Solanco High School principal, the leader of a local Lions Club and the head of the agricultural department and received an overwhelming amount of support. A community meeting was held in June of 1950, and the first fair took place that September.

What started as a humble celebration of the Southern End and its values has evolved into one of its largest community events of the year. The fair was first held at the Quarryville fire hall and has moved several times to accommodate its growth; it is now held on several acres of land that the Solanco Fair Association has acquired over the years. Multiple Fair Association buildings have been constructed to house a kitchen, restrooms, livestock and various exhibits.

The Solanco Fair has always maintained its roots in local families and agriculture, steering away from having carnival-type events. The first fair instead featured a fair queen contest, tractor driving contest and a performance from the Solanco High School band.

In 1952, the first Wednesday evening parade was introduced. The parade has grown to become a major highlight of the fair for Quarryville residents and fairgoers; this year, hundreds of spectators lined the streets of the town with lawn chairs to get a good view of the procession. "It's always fun to see everybody out and enjoying themselves. It's a great family night," said Amy Wade, who comes each year to see her daughter perform in the Octorara Junior-Senior High School band.

The parade featured a variety of groups from the Southern End, including fire companies and businesses as well as school bands and other musicians and dancers. The Solanco school band, Debbie's School of Dance, Rawlinsville Fire Company and Timberline Church were among the participants in the parade, and children gleefully gestured for truck drivers to sound their horns as they rolled past.

The fair also serves as an opportunity for Solanco residents to show off their skills and crafts. Each day of the fair, local students displayed their prized livestock in animal shows, bakers were judged on their goods and gardeners presented their finest produce. On Friday evening, Haylee Byers was crowned the Solanco fair queen, after which a tractor pull competition and an Iron Man contest took place.

For more information about the fair, visit https://solancofair.org. To view more photos from the event, visit http://www.townlively.com/in-the-community.