Celebrating its 170th year, The Great Allentown Fair was held from Aug. 31 through Sept. 5.

The annual event’s longtime mission of improving and advancing agriculture, horticulture, livestock, domestic and mechanical arts and the entertainment of its membership and patrons is most evident in the competitive exhibits and contests that are at the ‘heart of the fair.’

Exemplifying the vast number of award categories, there were over 6,000 items shown and on display in the Agri~Plex building and over 648 livestock in the barns at this year’s fair.

The following Best in Show awards were presented at the fair throughout fair week:

Youth Department/Under Age 19: Lilly Peloso, Macungie, baked goods; Paul R. Lucas, Allentown, flowers, vegetable, art; Autumn Hopple, Whitehall, needlework.

Adults: Kamryn Fink, Germansville, grain/seed crops; Blair Hower, Northampton, vegetables, vegetable display, potatoes; Jason Emanuel, Laurys Station, organic vegetable; Levi Gavenus, Lenhartsville, fruits; Cindy Perosa, Orefield, edible nuts; Debra C. Lilly, Bethlehem, baked products; Michele Eidle, Boyertown, canned/dried goods; William D. McQuilken, New Tripoli, spreads; Geraldine Kobak, Collegeville, spreads; Blake O’Connell, Jim Thorpe, trees; Rosemary G. Ebersole, Emmaus, foliage plants; Dennis J. Ritter, Bethlehem, specimen flowers/annuals; Donna Hibshman, Allentown, specimen flowers/arrangement; Linda Kelly, Zionsville, handmade clothing; Teresa Murphy, Easton, needlework/crochet; Sharon McLaughlin, Whitehall, needlework/counted cross; Christine Schafer, Northampton, quilt; Melita Diehl, Allentown, drawings; Donald Dieter, Whitehall, photography/black and white; Richard Ziegler, Doylestown, photography/color; John Ziegler, Allentown, handcrafts; Lisa Kurtz, Center Valley, antiques; Robert Heilman, Orefield, wine/beer; Jean Silberg, Allentown, apiary.

Agriculture Education: Cole Peifer, Oley, FFA grain/seed crops; Phoebe Stutzman, Kutztown, FFA potatoes, horticulture/flowers; David Schmidt Jr., Allentown FFAS aquaculture/aquaria.

4-H: Allison Emanuel, Laurys Station, vegetables, arts/crafts; Kamryn Fink, Germansville, foods/nutrition; Rebecca Galius, Macungie, horticulture/flowers; Krista Lynch, Schnecksville, clothing/textiles; Jonas Geiger, Schnecksville, engineering products.

Dairy Show: Abby Freeburg, Phoenixville, supreme champion dairy female/brown Swiss; Rebecca Bailey, West Chester, supreme champion dairy bull/milking shorthorn.

Dairy Beef Show: Samuel Lazarus, Schnecksville, champion dairy beef.

Beef Show: Taylor Hansley, Hamburg, supreme champion beef female/all other breed; Ethan Brozman, Nazareth, supreme champion bull/Angus, Champion 4-H Lehigh County 4-H show market steer.

Sheep Show: Wyatt Kerper, Kutztown, supreme ewe; Bruce Snyder, Kutztown, supreme ram.

Market Lamb Show: Samuel Lazarus, Schnecksville, Champion 4-H, Lehigh County 4-H Show Market Lamb.

Swine Show: Raelee Bennecoff, Kutztown, supreme gilt; Todd Bennecoff, Kutztown, supreme boar.

Market Hog Show: Kamryn Fink, Germansville, Champion Open 4-H, Lehigh County 4-H show market hog.

Dairy Goat Show: Hailey Esposito, Oxford, supreme doe.

Breeding Market Goat Show: Ethan Brozman, Nazareth, supreme champion breeding meat goat.

Market Goat Show: Levi Lazarus, Schnecksville, Champion 4-H, Lehigh County 4-H show market goat.

Rabbit/Cavy Show: Aubrie Schoener, Rosetta, best in show rabbit.

Supreme Champion Showman: Samuel Lazarus, Schnecksville, supreme champion showman.

Supreme Champion Mardi Gras: Quinly Hanna, Breinigsville, first day of school.

Supreme Champion Bale Toss: Kurt Haas, Orefield.

Culinary contests have been a staple at the fair for over 30 years.

There were 11 contests held at this year’s fair. The following is a list of winners:

PA Preferred Junior Baking Cookies Brownies and Bars: Anaia Mueller, Hellertown.

The Great Shoo-Fly Pie: Christine Gossman, Allentown.

Stuffed Sandwich Cookie: Madison Stettler, Schnecksville.

Barbecue Meat: Les Smith, Easton.

King Arthur Flour Best Bundt Cake: Ashley Troxell, Catasauqua.

Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery’s Great Chili Bowl: Bryan Haldeman, Fleetwood.

The Pampered Chef Best Bread Pudding: Debra Lilly, Bethlehem.

Bechdolts Orchard Fresh Peach Dessert: Sharon Kurtz, Emmaus.

Best “No Bake” Dessert: Sarah Klein, Coplay.

Homemade Chocolate Cake: Madison Stettler, Schnecksville.

Blue Ribbon Apple Pie: Terry Ebert, Laurys Station.

Every year the fair hosts an Iron Chef Competition in the Cooking Demonstration Kitchen in Agri~Plex.

This year Courtney Davenport, Sous Chef at The Shelby in Allentown, unseated the reigning champ, Kayla Badway of oKaysions Katering in Alpha, N.J.

Badway held the title for three years.