It wouldn’t be summer in northeast Ohio without the fanfare and pageantry associated with local county fairs – and nowhere is this more true than in Summit county.
Animal exhibits, pie-eating contests, sack races and musical entertainment are just a few of the many highlights you’ll find at the 2011 Summit County Fair, which runs from Tuesday, July 26th through Sunday, July 31st at the Summit County Fairgrounds in Tallmadge, OH.
Reminder: The Summit County Farm Bureau is giving away a $500 gas card after the 2011 Summit County Fair. Enter today!
Today, the Summit County Fair is a well-established and extremely popular family-oriented attraction. However, this didn’t happen overnight.
In fact, the roots of the Summit County Fair trace all the way back to 1849 when the newly formed Summit County Agricultural Society was granted $137.50 – and permission to use the county courthouse grounds – from the county commissioners. The first Summit County Fair was held the following year in October 1850.
Over the next several years, the fair grew in popularity and as a result, fair organizers needed to secure progressively larger venues. In 1858, the Summit County Fair moved to a beautiful 35-acre tract of land known as Summit Grove. According to historian Karl H. Grismer, “some of the finest fairs in its entire history” took place at this location.
Once the lease expired at Summit Grove in 1864, the fair moved to a 30-acre location in Akron, where it remained until 1875. At that point, the Summit County Agricultural Society purchased a 45-acre parcel of land which later became known as Fountain Park. Over time, this location was greatly beautified and improved by the addition of a race track and many buildings.
The Summit County Fair was held at Fountain Park from 1875 until the mid-1920s. Sadly, at that point the fair gradually faded from prominence as it moved from one location to another over the next 30 years.
Then, in the mid-1950s, Charles “Charlie” Call (who later served as president of the first Fairboard for 10 years) and the Summit County 4-H Agent, Bob Benson, approached the county commissioners about leasing some land at the Summit County Home. Their goal in doing was to secure a permanent location for Summit County youths to exhibit their 4-H projects.
Ultimately, they were given access to a small parcel of rocky and wet land just east of SR91 on Howe Road. Dedicated volunteers immediately went to work on this challenging plot to carve out parking areas, a spot for a tent and the location for a single building. Soon after, the first Summit County Junior Fair was held at that location. (“Junior” was later dropped from the name as more adult-oriented competitions and exhibit opportunities were added).
Due to the dedication and hard work of those early volunteers, the new fair quickly caught on and continued to grow. As its popularity and success grew, so did support from the local government. Thanks to this support and the consistent dedication of many volunteers, the location grew to over 60 acres until it became the Summit County Fairgrounds we know today.
Over the last 50+ years, the Summit County Fair and its grounds has continued to evolve. The addition of permanent features, such as The Farm Antiques Museum and several other buildings, enables the Summit County Fair to appeal to a modern audience, while promoting and preserving the past.