Cherry Crest Adventure Farm will host its annual Hometown Hero Festival at the farm, 150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks, on Saturday, Sept. 19, at noon.

The day will be one "filled with gratitude, celebration and community spirit as we pay tribute to the courageous individuals who serve our hometowns," according to organizers.

The event began in 2021, intentionally coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. That year, the entire maze theme at the farm was centered around hometown heroes. That original event in 2021 has turned into an established yearly tradition, one that will kick off the farm's fall schedule this year.

This year's festival lineup includes the Pequea Valley Fire Department, Paradise Fire Department, Strasburg Police and Lancaster EMS. Department participation is subject to change based on staffing and emergency calls.

Admission to the farm is required to attend the festival. There is no additional cost beyond admission. A portion of ticket sales for the event will be donated to local volunteer fire departments and other emergency response agencies.

"It's exciting," said Sara Myer, an organizer of the event. "You not only get a chance to meet-and-greet with the firefighters, the police officers, it's a good way to build those relationships and then be able to give back to them, too."

Activities include a candy drop at noon, a touch-a-truck meet-and-greet until 6 p.m., a heroes parade at 6:30 p.m. and a patriotic fireworks show to close the day at 8:30 p.m. All-female Lancaster-based classic rock and blues cover band "Steel Radiance" will also perform at the farm from 3 to 6 p.m.

The candy will be dropped off the top of Pequea Valley Fire Department's ladder truck. Myer also said that Lancaster EMS typically allows children to lay on a gurney; the Strasburg Police Department also usually allows kids to turn on the lights in a police car or sit in the back and take pictures.

Also on the day of the event, the flower fields will be open. The typical Cherry Crest Adventure Farm food will also be available for sale.

"We'll have the grilled cheese wagon open, which is always popular," Myer said. "They typically try and have festival food, but I don't know if they've nailed down anything."

More information about the event and Cherry Crest Adventure Farm can be found by visiting http://www.cherrycrestfarm.com or by calling 717-687-6843. Information about the departments involved with the event can be found by searching for "Paradise Leaman Place Fire Company," "Pequea Valley Fire Department," "Strasburg Police Department Foundation" and "Lancaster EMS" on Facebook.