Lancaster Festival wins chamber of commerce Non-Profit of the Year Award

LANCASTER −This was going to be a special year for the Lancaster Festival anyway as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. Also, long-time festival orchestra conductor Gary Sheldon will mark his finale with the event.

But winning the Lancaster-Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit of the Year Award no doubt makes the year even more special.

"We were surprised," festival executive director Deb Connell said. "We're just so thrilled that we get this wonderful award from the chamber of commerce. It means that we're doing something right."

The festival staff and board will receive the award at the chamber's annual awards banquet at 6:30 p.m. on May 9 at Fisher Catholic High School.

"This award affects a lot of people," Connell said. "It's not just me and the administration here. It's the board and all the volunteers and everybody that loves the festival and supports the festival. We sort of belong to everybody in the community."

Therefore, she said those who love the festival own a piece of it.

"Which is great because they take ownership of it and they're proud of it," Connell said. "It does something special for their own businesses and their own families. It's become such a tradition over our 40 years that I think it has changed the face of Lancaster as a whole.

"It's hard to think about Lancaster without thinking about the festival. We've created a lot of art space and interest in the arts over our 40 years. So I don't think the festival and community are separate things to talk about."

The 2024 festival will run from July 18 to July 27 with Wilson Philips and Lee Brice the headlining acts.

The chamber's trade show will precede the banquet from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Fisher Catholic.

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This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: The Lancaster Festival is a chamber of commerce award winner for 2024