Holden Mays, 13, of Myerstown, pushes the wheelbarrow as partner Jackson Smeltzer, 12, also of Myerstown, goes for a ride. (Will Trostel)
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Farmers Night at the Lebanon Area Fair is an evening of light competition designed to be a fun event.
The competitions at this year’s fair included a bologna toss, wheelbarrow race, hay toss, and hay stacking for ages 8-12, 13-15, and 16+.
Top participants received a ribbon within each competition, and in the case of the bologna toss, each entrant was given the one they threw to enjoy eating. Each individually wrapped bologna was donated courtesy of Palmyra-based Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats.
During the wheelbarrow race, contestants partnered with the first pusher weaving around and between several cones before changing places. After swapping places, the second pusher was permitted to move in a straight line on the way back to the finish line in the timed event.
Emcee Harry Bachman announced the results for each competition and peppered the evening with some fun commentary, which elicited laughter from the 200 to 300 individuals at the track for the events.
Here is a pictorial representation of some of those competitions, followed by a few other moments captured around the fair.
Connor Mills, 9, of Annville, gives the bologna his best toss in the 8- to 12-year-old division. (Will Trostel)
Carlie Zechman, 12, of Jonestown, rears back to toss her bologna down the track. (Will Trostel)
The bologna tossed by McKinley Taylor, 12, of Palmyra, takes flight. (Will Trostel)
Nathan Barnhart, 14, of Palmyra, prepares to launch his bologna as other entrants in his age group (13-15) look on. (Will Trostel)
A volunteer judge measures one of the contestant’s throws in the bologna toss competition, which was held on the track at the Lebanon Area Fair. The bologna for the toss was donated by Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats, Palmyra. (Will Trostel)
Holden Mays, 13, of Myerstown, pushes the wheelbarrow as partner Jackson Smeltzer, 12, also of Myerstown, goes for a ride. (Will Trostel)
Jillian Zechman, 15, of Jonestown, is all smiles as partner Haylee Mullen, 13, of Fredericksburg, completes the second leg in the wheelbarrow competition. (Will Trostel)
Brothers Chris Buck, sitting, and Ari Buck, both of Myerstown, cross the finish line in the ages 16+ division of the wheelbarrow races during Farmers Night activities at the Lebanon Area Fair. (Will Trostel)
Jacob Trieskey, 12, of Lebanon, gives it his all in the hay bale toss competition while other contestants check out his tossing form. (Will Trostel)
Ada Martin, 15, of Fredericksburg, is all smiles as her bale of hay gains distance. (Will Trostel)
This future farmer and ardent Phillies fan practices his tractor-driving skills while playing in the dairy barn during the Lebanon Area Fair. (James Mentzer)
Before his performance on the main stage at the Lebanon Area Fair on Wednesday evening, country music star Grant Bryan, left, stopped by the Froggy 100.1 booth to do a live remote broadcast with The Midday Leap show host “Chase Hopper.” After doing the broadcast with the station, Bryan enjoyed a raspberry milkshake from the outdoor eatery. (James Mentzer)
Speaking of the Lebanon Area Fair milkshakes, there is almost always a line of fairgoers who patiently wait for their turn to order the tasty treat. (James Mentzer)
The Fulton Bank stand is a popular stop at the fair as employees and volunteers hand out popcorn to fair attendees. (James Mentzer)
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James Mentzer is a freelance writer and lifelong resident of Pennsylvania. He has spent his professional career writing about agriculture, economic development, manufacturing and the energy and real estate industries, and is the county reporter and a features writer for LebTown.
James is an outdoor...
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William Trostel is a full-time freelance photographer/videographer based out of Lebanon City. Beginning his career as a hobbyist trying to film his friends skateboarding, his camera quickly turned into a passion. Within two years of being a hobbyist, William began to book portrait sessions and commercial...
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