Exihibiting EXCELLENCE

Few events are as uniquely summertime as a county fair. With their emphasis on livestock and the young people who’ve spent a large portion of the season preparing for them, county fairs have been an end-of-summer tradition in the United States for well over 100 years.

The history of the fair likely dates back to Roman days, as a series of religious holidays complete with games, competitions, and festivities. During the Middle Ages, fairs evolved into events more resembling markets, and were often combined with feasts and celebrations dedicated to particular saints — a combination that endured for centuries. As time passed, fairs turned from their religious roots toward a focus on agriculture and education. One of the first agricultural fairs in the U.S. was held in Massachusetts in the early 1800s, and consisted entirely of a sheep exhibition.

From those roots, animal exhibition grew in the U.S., and rural communities across the country began hosting their own agricultural fairs. In 1841,