gardening
Dear Aggie
I heard that the Jefferson County Fair is the longest continuously running fair in the US. What is the significance of this?
Going to the county fair every year was always a family tradition of mine as a young, 4-H youth. I grew up in a different part of the state from the North Country, but I still looked forward to my county’s fair every summer. I prepped my dairy show cattle all year, worked on various 4-H projects such as woodworking and cake decorating, and was excited to share my work with the community. County fairs have been around for over 200 years in some locations in New York; and the traditions of showcasing agricultural products, animals, and other projects persist.
Jefferson County has a rich agricultural history and the fair is a great place to showcase some of what our industry has to offer. This year marks the 207th Jefferson County Fair, which will be held from July 9th-14th at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds in Watertown, NY. The Jefferson County Agricultural Society, which holds the Jefferson County Fair, was formed in 1817. According to the Jefferson County Fair’s website (https://www.jeffcofair.org/aboutus), our county’s fair was inspired by a woolen cloth competition in 1808. The Jefferson County Fair is the longest continuously operating fair in the United States. Even though other fairs may have started before ours, they may not hold this title for different reasons, such as they took a year off or something similar. For example, the New York State Fair was not held between 1942-1947, as the fairgrounds were used as a military base (https://nysfair.ny.gov/about/fair-history/). Considering the multitude of county and state fairs held across the United States, it is pretty awesome that our county fair is the longest continuously operating fair!
Wanting to make a visit to the Jefferson County Fair this year? There are many events held at the fair and fun for all ages. The Jefferson County Fair has competition categories for dairy cattle, sheep, poultry, vegetables, food products, and more! You can view these animal and non-animal exhibits, both from local youth and adults, and also catch some animal shows during your visit, so be sure to plan around those events! We have over 80 4-H & FFA youth that will be showing animals at this year’s county fair. This year’s fair highlights animal exhibits and other agricultural products, but also has many other activities and events such as rides on the midway, music acts, and a comedian. Check out the full list of fair events here: https://www.jeffcofair.org/daily-schedule.
Last updated July 1, 2024