As fair grows, traditions endure

Time changes a lot of things, but the land off of Airport Road near Karst Farm Park has been home to the Monroe County Fair for more than half a century. Every year the smell of deep fried pork tenderloins and sugary elephant ears returns with trailers full of animals groomed for competition and lines of children waiting for excitement.

While many things have remained the same, the fair has continued to grow with more buildings, people and events.

“It wasn’t what it is today,” said Bob Beard, first fair board president and current board member. “I don’t know how the past 50 years we’ve increased so much.”
The current fair board organized its first fair in 1955. Before this point, the fair was under the jurisdiction of the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and wasn’t always an annual event.

Richard Stuart, a member of the Monroe County Fair board for 50 years, said the earliest record he’s ever seen of a county fair in Monroe County dated back to 1835.
Back when the idea of a fair first came around in the 1800s, riding rides and eating elephant ears weren’t things on everyone’s minds. A 1949 article from the Bloomington Daily Herald listed all of the different categories for which people could compete and win prizes in the 1855 county fair.

Some fair traditions remain the same, like competitions for cows and sheep and pigs, but others no longer exist. According to the article, leather was a competing category and “harness, boots, ladies shoes and men and women’s saddles were subjects for prizes.”

Leather-making contests have been replaced with contests involving more power and flash. The biggest event in years past hasn’t been the 4-H Club competitions, but the demolition derby, said First Vice President of the Monroe County Fair Board Rick Routon. And Stuart says he’s seen a decrease in the number of farm related activities.

“There’s less and less agriculture, although we still have quite a number of animals and farm related exhibits,” Stuart said.

Technology has advanced with the fair, too.

“There are scientific advancements to prevent cheating,” Stuart said. “Animals have to be registered early in the spring, and they check their nose print and analyze and scan the iris to determine if it’s the same animal they started out with.”

Even considering the changes time has caused to a favorite pastime, and even with all of the new activities kids can take part in, 4-H Club participation levels suggest the county fair is something that is still here to stay.

“When the present fair started in 1955 I think they had about 800 4-H members,” Stuart said. “I think they’ve got somewhat more than that now which is doing quite well considering all the activities kids can participate in now compared to what they could do back then.”