This week the county of Clearfield is celebrating the 161st year of the beloved Clearfield County Fair.
This has become a cherished celebration time for the citizens to gather together for the fair and parade.
The fair tradition dates back to 1852. Here is the historical timeline of the Clearfield County Fair.
- 1852 – The Clearfield County Agricultural Society was organized.
- 1860 – The first Clearfield County Fair was held Oct. 16, 17 and 18 on a plot of ground along Old Town Road.
- 1870 – The fair moved from Old Town Road to the present-day Driving Park.
- 1871 – Reorganization and new name was formed to the Clearfield Agricultural Park Association.
- 1895 – The fair was moved to Grampian Park.
- 1897 – The fair returned to Clearfield at the Driving Park.
- 1900 – The first horse racing events were held at the fair.
- 1911 – It was written in Roland D. Swoope Jr.’s book, History of Clearfield County, that the last few years the fair had not been held.
- 1915 – The Clearfield County Fair was revived.
- 1918 – The Clearfield Park Association was organized.
- 1924 – The construction of the Clearfield Park Grandstand took place.
- 1934 – The fair was held Tuesday through Friday, Sept. 11 – 14.
- 1935 – The fair was suspended due to the Great Depression.
- 1936 – The fair resumed with a full week of activities Monday through Saturday, Sept. 14 – 19.
- 1937 – The James E. Strates Show made its debut appearance on the midway.
- 1938 – The Clearfield Volunteer Fire Department took over the management of the fair. First Firemen’s Parade was held this year.
- 1939 – Kitty Barger of Clearfield was named Miss Clearfield County.
- 1941 – The date of the fair was changed from September to the first week in August.
- 1943 and 1944 – No Clearfield County Fair was held due to World War II.
- 1948 – The Joey Chitwood’s Hell Drivers made their first appearance.
- 1949 – The grange exhibits were introduced at the fair.
- 1950 – The Grange Square Dance competition was introduced.
- 1951 – Tractor Pull contest made its premier, which is still held to this day.
- 1952 – The Sammy’s Steaks stand debuted on the midway.
- 1957 – This was the year of the first fireworks spectacular.
- 1958– Sunday Vesper Service was started and continues as a special feature.
- 1959 – The 4-H Horsemanship Show became an important part of the fair program.
- 1961 – Minnie Pearl, star of the Grand Ole Opry, appeared as a special attraction, which started the line-up of notable entertainers to the fair.
- 1965 – The James E. Strates Show traveling to Clearfield via railroad from Lockport, N.Y., ran into delays and had to truck in some of the carnival rides. The train arrived a day later than expected.
- 1967 – The last fair sponsored by the Clearfield County Agricultural Society.
- 1976 – The Firemen’s Parade and Friday night entertainment were both cancelled due to severe rainstorms.
- 1980 – Stromboli Land makes its first appearance at the fair.
- 1988 – A committee was formed to plan a Fair Queen Contest.
- 2000 – A new Expo 1 building was completed just in time for the fair.
- 2006 – An Apple Pie Contest and Machine Finished Quilting were added to the competition line-up.
- 2014 – The entertainment line-up included – The Oak Ridge Boys, Halestorm, Florida Georgia Line and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
- 2019 – Introduction of the Hat Derby Contest sponsored by the Clearfield County Historical Society.
- 2020 – The Clearfield County Fair was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021 – The Clearfield County Fair resumes.
- 2022 – The Hat Derby Contest is moved to an evening event.
Here are some scenes from the past days at the Clearfield County Fair. If you haven’t made it yet this year, stop by to make more memories and reminisce about the past. The last day to attend is Saturday, Aug. 6.
