Marion has its fair share of summer traditions. The Fourth of July Horse Show, the Sippican Lands Trust Open Space Beach Bash, and the Marion Village 5K road race have drawn crowds year after year for decades.

The First Congregational Church of Marion’s Summer Fair may not be the largest or longest running event, but with dedicated volunteers and community support, its organizers have cause to celebrate.

“We keep finding, over and over again, that people want to participate and help us put the fair together every year,” said Cornelia Dougall, who co-chaired the event with Judith Coykendall.

“Everything is put together through volunteers from the church and because of the First Congregation’s history within the town, people feel they are a part of it, and want to help in any way they can,” Coykendall said.

Held on Saturday, planning the fair began in January. This was the first time Coykendall and Dougall organized the event after Bob Jones stepped down as chair last year. Jones had run the fair for 10 years.

This year, new activities such as puppet making, a bounce house, and dunk tank were added for older children to complement face painting and arts and crafts that have been fair staples for younger children.

Also new, music from “The Showstoppers,” “Three Buoys and a Gull,” and the “Harpoon Harmonizers” was heard as attendees browsed tables outside, made bids on the silent auction and enjoyed lobster rolls, fresh seafood, hamburgers, and hot dogs.

“The fair is renowned for its lobster rolls,” Coykendall said, adding food is a large part of the fair. Home cooked casseroles could be bought, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables.

In the church basement, the "White Elephant" sale featured a variety of donated items for purchase.

Started in 1959 by Yvonne Jackson, the sale has artwork, home decoration, some furniture, and much more.

“If you can’t find what you’re looking for at the sale, it probably doesn’t exist,” Dougall joked.

During the two days before the fair, Jackson’s daughters organized and priced the items. Dougall said the two have traveled to Marion each year to help with the sale, which is a major fundraiser for the church.

Though it’s known how many years the sale has been held, the fair’s inaugural year is unknown. The best guess, according to church members, is that this year is somewhere between the 45^th to 50^th anniversary.

On Saturday, part of Main Street was closed, allowing families to wander the church grounds.

Coykendall and Dougall reported that it appeared more people attended the fair this year than last. The co-chairs thanked the merchants and residents who donated time and material.

“Putting this together has been delightful,” Coykendall said. “We’re both overwhelmed by the number of people who generously donated their time.”