The Clarence Center Labor Day Fair will bring the the community together, in the viewpoint of Clarence Center fire chief Michael Rogowski, who is the chairperson of the organizing committee.

The thousands who are expected to come to the fire hall grounds for rides, food, the parade, demolition derbies and the other activities planned for the three-day festival will have the opportunity to greet their neighbors and perhaps make new friends.

What makes this event so significant is the many past celebrations to which it harkens back. The first Labor Day Picnic was approved by the Clarence Center Volunteer Fire Association in 1922, according to information published in The Bee’s Town of Clarence Bicentennial supplement.

“This tradition has continued to this date, with the exception of a short break during World War II and a few years during the mid to late 60s,” according to the information.

That date isn’t the first time people in the community got together to celebrate, however. A fireman’s picnic in July 1908, featuring fireworks and an outdoor dance, was the first fundraising effort for the first fire hall at the location. It’s been a place to get together and for summer fun for more than 100 years.

The Ladies Auxiliary was created in 1933 to assist with picnics and other social functions, including the Labor Day Fair.

While you chow down on barbecue chicken and hamburgers as you listen to the band Hit N Run perform in the Labatt Blue Party Tent, remember that the former inhabitants of the town also feasted to the strains of music in roughly the same spot.

It’s not every community tradition that lasts as long as the Labor Day Fair has. Some fall by the wayside as people’s schedules get busier and interests change. So it’s significant when a celebration not only remains in existence but also remains popular and continues to grow.

The fair wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the organizers, as well as the attendance of people from several counties in Western New York. And it just won’t be the same without you.

If you’re not planning to attend, we suggest rethinking your weekend plans. The Labor Day Fair is a great time to celebrate the camaraderie of small-town life and make some summer memories before the season draws to a close.

The fair, which is sponsored by the Clarence Center Fire Company Benevolent Association, will be held from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 6, at 9415 Clarence Center Road, Clarence Center. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. Monday.

We ’ll see you there.