Lebanon Valley Expo breaks ground on $10 million exposition hall

Officials broke ground Monday for a $10 million addition to what they called the “gem of the Lebanon Valley.”

Construction is set to commence today on a new 15,000-square-foot exposition hall at the Lebanon Valley Exposition & Fairgrounds on Rocherty Road in North Cornwall Township. It could eventually be expanded to 25,000 square feet, according to expo officials. 

The latest addition to the fairgrounds is slated to be finished before the 2027 Lebanon Fair begins next July.

“Today it’s an honor to be part of the groundbreaking addition of the Lebanon Valley Expo. The Lebanon Valley Expo is truly a gem,” said Susan Eberly, president of the Lebanon Valley Economic Development Corporation, which provided a low-interest loan for the project. “When you think of the multifaceted functionality of the expo center, it’s remarkable. I mean, there’s so much that goes on here, it’s just amazing.”

Eberly was one of about 15 speakers who addressed the crowd before a groundbreaking ceremony was held in proximity to the new building’s location. 

The hall will be built on the east side of North Hall and will mirror North Hall in size and structure. A walkway between North Hall and the still-to-be-named new building will be named after contributor WellSpan Health. 

Harry Bachman, president of Lebanon Valley Expo Corporation, provided opening remarks and introduced each speaker.

“Thanks everybody for taking time out of your busy schedules to be with us today for a very, very important event,” Bachman said. “As we go through this today, you’re going to see that it’s going to be a great addition to our current buildings that we already have here, which is 75,000 square feet. None of this would be, of course, possible without the many supporters of our facility.”

Bachman recognized supporters from the public and private sectors, with many offering brief remarks. Two speakers announced financial support totaling $1.25 million.

Scott Sechler, board chairman for Bell & Evans, made a $1 million donation to the project to be paid in $200,000 increments. He spoke of the expo center’s importance to the agricultural and non-ag communities and as a place for people to gather.

“The Lebanon fairground plays a big role in socialization. All these groups of people come here, they talk to each other. You go to church and talk to each other. There’s not so many places left where people can get together and talk to each other and share ideas and share problems, share joys in life. But this plays a role in it,” Sechler said, noting that his company provided over 7,000 free passes to the 3,000-plus company employees for this year’s Lebanon fair.

Lebanon County Commissioner Bob Phillips, speaking on behalf of the Dixon Foundation, announced a $250,000 contribution. He noted the importance of the fairgrounds as an education center and said the foundation’s two primary missions are education and healthcare. 

“Thank you for joining us for this another great day in the history and another great milestone for things that are all good for Lebanon County,” Phillips said.

LebTown previously reported that Bachman said the expo center received a $4 million grant through the commonwealth’s Office of Budget for Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, but expo officials must pay for the project upfront before being compensated with RACP funds after project completion.

WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital president Tina Citro referenced the link between healthy communities and places for them to gather.

“At WellSpan, we recognize that healthy communities are built around more than hospitals, physician practices, and healthcare services. They’re built around places where people can come together, connect, learn, celebrate, and grow. The Lebanon Valley Expo Center has become one of those important gathering places in Lebanon County and the surrounding region,” Citro said. “It serves as a destination for community events, educational programs, business development, agriculture, recreation, and family activities that bring people together throughout the whole year. That’s why we are proud to sponsor this expansion effort.”

She added community facilities are economic drivers within their hometowns.

“Investments like this strengthen the overall vitality of our community. They create opportunities for economic growth, they attract visitors and businesses to the region and provide welcoming spaces where organizations can engage residents, share resources and build meaningful connections,” Citro said. 

While heavy rains and dark storm clouds forced speakers into Founder’s Hall, the weather couldn’t prevent the mood indoors from being bright and breezy. Applause prefaced and preceded each speaker, and several cracked jokes on what was described as a glorious occasion.

Bachman called on state Reps. John Schlegel, (R-101) and Russ Diamond (R-102) together, saying they could decide who would go first. Schlegel took to the lectern, noting the expo center is in his legislative district. 

After Schlegel read a proclamation, Diamond, not missing a beat, joked that he has more ag land in his legislative district than Schlegel has in his. Diamond highlighted the connection between the growth of the expo center on its existing 60-acre lot and the county’s farming heritage.

“I just wanted to say that this is not just an investment in bringing people from outside Lebanon County to visit Lebanon County. This is an investment in the permanence of our agricultural culture here in Lebanon County,” Diamond said. “With this, I’m the representative who represents the most area of this county which is in agricultural usage. So, I absolutely, positively want to make sure that our agricultural heritage is preserved in permanence for the future.”

Sen. Chris Gebhard (R-48) noted it was an exciting day to celebrate what he called “a great addition to what is already an amazing facility.” 

“People, I think, don’t really understand what an economic driver the Expo Center is for this area and this addition will only help improve it,” Gebhard said, adding the project was easy to support even when its estimated cost rose from $4 million to $10 million. 

“It was easy to support this project. I think it’s going to be an absolutely great addition to this community,” he added. 

Lebanon County Commissioner Mike Kuhn joked that the board knew what it was doing since the ground was soft for the groundbreaking ceremony. He turned serious and highlighted the growth since the grounds were purchased in 1969.  

“I guess hat’s off to the expo board. They think of everything. You know, the ground is nice and soft this morning for that groundwork,” Kuhn said to laughter. “ I think about the founders, the people who created this concept of establishing a fairgrounds here. And you talk about putting up tents years ago. Look where we are today.”

Bachman provided a historic overview of the fairgrounds, noting the first fair was held there around 1970.

“A lot of local farmers and business people decided it was time to purchase some land so that they could have a permanent spot for the fair. And about 1970, the first fair was held on these grounds. Definitely did not look like it does today,” Bachman recalled, adding that there were only tents that severe storms would take down during fair week. “As you can see, things have progressed.”

The newest facility will be free span – meaning it will not contain pillars – and will have a 20-foot ceiling, HVAC system, audio/visual ceiling mounts, LED lighting, multiple overhead doors, and a separate entrance and lobby area facing Rocherty Road, among other amenities. It will also feature a connecting corridor, restrooms, storage space and parking, plus the boardroom and fair office. 

Lebanon Area Fair board chairman Dan Siegel told LebTown after the ceremony that the board will begin discussing how the facility will be used. The fair board works closely with expo corporation officials, with the fair taking precedence over the other 100-plus events to be held there throughout the year. 

“There’s a lot of times when we are very quickly looking for space for an event happening and then we have to quickly switch that over for something else that’s happening 30 minutes later,” Siegel said. “It’s gonna give us a lot more flexibility in our scheduling of events during the week.”

This project will include closing a retention pond east of North Hall and constructing a new one near the center’s marquee along Rocherty Road. Unrelated to the building, new electrical service will be added throughout the fairgrounds.

Bachman and Siegel told LebTown after the ceremony that the new electric service will meet the energy needs of commercial and other exhibitors during fair week. 

“It’s gonna allow us to expand the midway westward,” Siegel said. “So where we’re currently a little constrained by power, getting that extra electricity in will address that limiting factor by far. We powered our whole beef barn with a generator and the sea lion show. So probably just as meaningful to the fair as this new building is that expansion that we will get.”

Siegel said the fair will be able to expand close to Cornwall Road and noted that the amusement ride provider is interested in adding carnival rides to the fair, as well as adding a few more food vendors, too.

“This is one of those things the fair board is always trying to do, to be much more proactive thinking ahead because like 50 years ago you wouldn’t have dreamt this would be what it is today,” he said. “But they’re trying to expand for the future, so they’re looking to get (more) light poles and get electricity out there. But, you know, if we don’t use them on day one, they’ll still be there.”

Bachman told LebTown, with a smile, that reservations are already being accepted for non-fair events in the new hall beginning in 2028.