The West Lampeter Community Fair returned to the fairgrounds from Sept. 22 to 27 with a roster of special events to celebrate its 100th anniversary. In addition to enjoying the fair's traditional festivities and tasty treats, community members made new memories as they looked back on a century of good, old-fashioned fun.

The fair kicked off at 4 p.m. on Sept. 22 with an opening ceremony that included remarks from fair board president Don Welks and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's deputy secretary for animal health and food safety, Lisa Graybeal. Graybeal presented 2023 West Lampeter Fair queen Sarah Blount with a certificate recognizing the event's centennial. Welk and the previous two fair board presidents held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially launch the first day of fair fun.

The opening ceremony was followed by a kids' candy drop and a concert from Summit Hill Bluegrass, which performed an arrangement of classic folk tunes and banjo ballads while fairgoers lined up for funnel cakes and sausage sandwiches. After the show, attendees filled every seat in the bleachers for a community hymn sing. As the sun set over the green and yellow striped tents, the fair queen candidates processed into the area for the annual contest. The competition was attended by several former West Lampeter Community Fair queens; each past fair queen shared a memory from the year she won the contest and took a seat in front of the stage as candidates vied for the 2024 title.

After multiple rounds of questions, Garden Spot FFA member Ava Immel was crowned the West Lampeter Fair queen of 2024. Mackenzie Westerlund, representing the Lampeter-Strasburg High School (LSHS) Student Council, was selected as the fair queen alternate. The contest included a farewell speech from 2023 West Lampeter Fair queen Sarah Blount, and it was followed by a firework display to close out the opening day of the fair.

In addition to multiple new events, the 2024 West Lampeter Community Fair included three extra days of activities. Between Sept. 23 and 27, the festivities included the annual baby parade, tractor games, a concert from LSHS' marching band and the All Western Horse Show. On Sept. 24, community members showed off their unique talents during the first ever Lampeter's Got Talent show, which included musical performances and a demonstration from a local first responder.

A display of fair memorabilia was set up for guests to see the evolution of the community tradition throughout the last century. The first fair took place in October 1924, and it was created as a way for students attending the West Lampeter Vocational High School to display their projects. In 1930, the event became a larger community event held at West Lampeter High School, and it received state funding for commercial displays and dairy animals the following year. As the decades passed, the fair continued to incorporate new activities and local nonprofit organizations, eventually growing to become the annual tradition it is today.

For more information, visit https://westlampeterfair.com.