Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair

The Manhattan Beach Old Hometown Fair was started by a group of residents in 1972 who wanted to promote community spirit within Manhattan Beach. The Fair included a parade down Manhattan Beach Boulevard, turning north on Valley to the Fair. From the beginning, the parade has included the Mira Costa High School band and drill teams and various city dignitaries in convertibles and old cars. The Fair has also always included local craft booths, non-profit food and game booths as well as a variety of entertainment for children and adults. The first year of the Fair was supervised by the Parks and Recreation Department with community help. After the great response, a standing committee of community members created to organize and run the Fair with guidance from the city. Some of the community members who were responsible for that first year were Louise Hawley, Walt Avera, Turk Maturko and Jason Lane. In 1973, Louise Hawley was elected as the first president of the Hometown Fair Board of Directors. The Fair was incorporated on April 12, 1977 as a California non-profit organization. It has been a successful, non-profit venture ever since. The Fair has always been supported by tremendous volunteers and the assistance of the City and its employees. There are no corporate sponsors. The idea has always been to keep the spirit of the Fair as “Hometown” and avoid commercial advertising. The Fair is a distinctive and special event that makes Manhattan Beach a unique and friendly place to live.