SCRANTON -- Officials in Lackawanna County think they're missing a summertime staple that's seen in just about every other county in the state: a county fair.
Lackawanna County commissioners got the ball rolling Wednesday on founding a fair.
Lackawanna County is one of the only Pennsylvania counties that does not have a fair all its own and the commissioners think it's time to change that. They decided to put together a fair committee that will have its eye on 2017.
It's only about six months until county fair season. The one in Wayne County has been a summer tradition since 1862. Officials in neighboring Lackawanna County think 2017 may be a good year to start their own summer tradition.
The idea is just a logo on a poster now that Lackawanna County Commissioner Pat O'Malley presented at a county meeting Wednesday.
Commissioners approved a plan to create a fair committee that would look into the creation of a Lackawanna County fair.
It would bring the summer fun a few miles closer for folks who live in the Scranton area.
"It's actually a hassle to get to them because they're not around here. I'm only 15, so I'm underage, I can't even drive yet. I would love for there to be one here," said Brandon Fox of Dunmore.
Lackawanna County is known for its landmarks and that's one of the first things the fair committee has to tackle. Which landmark can hold a county fair?
"Lackawanna County's huge. I'm sure that's something that's up for debate for whoever the committee is. Wyoming County has the Kiwanis, they run it. So, is this something that the county would actually want to run themselves or is it something that we would hand off to a nonprofit?" said Commissioner Pat O'Malley, (R) Lackawanna County.
There's a lot to consider yet, but Commissioner O'Malley thinks the agriculture industry in Lackawanna County is big enough to support a fair and has been underrepresented for too long.
"It's kind of a way to bring the whole community together, bring people from all over the county and for vendors to kind of put their name out there for people to see," said Scranton resident Stefan Sloma.
The Lackawanna County Fair committee will be getting some help from Wyoming County commissioners who help out with the Wyoming County Fair. There are still a lot of unknowns including the location, but Commissioner O'Malley thinks summer of 2017 is an achievable goal.
