Lewisboro Library Fair will mark 65th anniversary

Book sale area at last year’s Lewisboro Library Fair.

By NEAL RENTZ

The Lewisboro Library Fair will mark a milestone this year with its 65th anniversary.

The fair’s main event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Onatru Farm Park, located at 99 Elmwood Road, South Salem.

This year’s other fair-related events include book sales and special Attic Treasure Sales, through Sept. 20. 

The fair, which has been conducted annually, except for the COVID-19 year of 2020, is one of the largest community events in town, Lewisboro Library Interim Director Gregory Sages said recently.

“The Library Fair is one of the most significant public events in Lewisboro with an unrivaled pedigree,” he said. “The breadth of activities, food and entertainment available and the fall timing, just after school resumes, have driven annual attendance to nearly 3,000.”

In addition to providing the library staff with an opportunity to interact with and give back to the community, the event is a significant fundraising source for the library, Sages said.

“The fair is our largest fundraising activity of the year, typically generating approximately one-third of our fundraising budget in a six-hour event,” he said. 

“These funds are crucial to our staffing, programming efforts and services provided, including workshops, entertainment and educational offerings which are enjoyed by children, teens and adults, including seniors,” Sages said.

The fair features more than just book sales, Sages said. The fair also includes such aspects as the Kids Zone which features bouncy castles, games, and arts and crafts, a dunk tank, police and fire department displays, local vendors’ markets, a silent auction, Scout demonstrations and the Concours d’Elegance car show honoring Dean Travalino, Sages said. 

Vendor Alley at the 2025 Lewisboro Library Fair.

New features of this year’s fair include expanded food and beverage offerings, the return of the toy sale and a dedicated fair website, lewisborolibraryfair.com.

“The new website was implemented to serve as a dedicated year-round hub of communication for the fair,” he said. “It affords us the ability to make greater use of technology in scheduling, payment mechanisms and social media emphasizing the fair itself.”

A key to the success of the annual event is the efforts of fair volunteers, Sages said, noting the library has less than 25 employees, with most of them being part-time workers. About 250 residents volunteer for the event and many work year after year, he said. 

“They are critical to the success of the fair and also instrumental in making the community aware of our event,” he said.

There is still time to become a fair volunteer. Help is needed throughout the day on Sept. 19 and for cleaning up the following day so there is an opportunity to sign up as a volunteer through Sept. 20, Sages said. 

VIP tickets, which are $75, can be purchased through the fair website. VIP benefits include reserved parking, early access shopping, two book vouchers and two raffle tickets, Sages noted. 

This is the first fair for Sages, who joined the library as interim director in March. “We have an experienced team of employees, board members and volunteers whose number and enthusiasm make the fair the success it has been,” he said. “The library is deeply grateful for the support we receive from the Lewisboro community and from the town of Lewisboro government.”