A lot has happened in the past 100 years, but one bakery in Slaton has risen above the times and plans to celebrate a milestone this weekend with tons of free fun.

Slaton Bakery, 109 S. 9th St. in Slaton, will officially celebrate their 100th anniversary on Saturday, June 10. The event will have free samples, free food, live music and games from noon to 6 p.m.

More: 'Best Kept Secret' no more — these treats made Slaton Bakery's footprint bigger than Texas

Slaton Bakery has survived WWII rationing, a pandemic, and more historic times

The proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the cookies.

The story behind the Slaton Bakery began when the railroad town's Blue Ribbon and City Bakeries decided to consolidate in 1923. It became the Slaton Baking Company, and was known as a wholesale bread factory.

In 1943, then-employees Barney and Ollie Mae Wilson purchased the bakery from R.D. Hickman. The Wilson family continues to own the business, now led by Sherrel and Robin Wilson, who took over in 1973, along with their son, Chad Wilson, who joined in 1994.

By 2009, the bakery received a historical marker. They expanded in 2011 by purchasing the nearby West Side Church of Christ to become their cookie factory. Their site said this is why their cookies "taste heavenly."

Chad Wilson became the driving force behind getting the family bakery's goods on the shelves of major retailers. This was inspired by learning that customers were driving for hours to get their vanilla wafers.

"And so, we thought, 'Man, if you're having to drive two or three hours just to get these cookies, then surely there's people already at the grocery store that would like to buy them,'" Chad said in a 2021 article.

Slaton Bakery's Vanilla Wafers hit the shelves of major retailers in 2012, and can now be found at United Supermarkets, H-E-B and Food King locations throughout Texas and into New Mexico.

People can keep up with the historic bakery at theslatonbakery.com, Facebook, and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Slaton Bakery to celebrate 100 years of business on Saturday