Benton County Fair Booklet

of the fair goes beyond the agricultural nuts and bolts. "I think it adds a sense of place," he said. "It helps people think about other people and connect with them. And there's certainly an economic boost to the local economy while the fair is going on." He remembers showing at the Benton County Fair as a youngster. Fair week was a big deal in Bentonville, complete with a big parade. "The fairgrounds were just south of downtown Bentonville. I showed steers," he recalled. "I remember a lot of us slept in the barn with our animals. There'd be a bunch of kids crashed out all over on straw bales. It was fun." Gunsaulis said he still sees some of those childhood fair friends in his dealings in the county. In 2004, Benton County celebrated 100 years of the Benton County Fair. The 119th Annual Benton County Fair will run Sept. 26-30. Best of all, everyone can participate. You don't have to live on a farm or raise livestock to be part of a county fair. Look for fair books at your extension office detailing dozens of free classes to enter or check the website of your county fair for online registration. From food preservation and gardening to robotics and art, the county fair offers it all. A Look Back at the First Benton County Fair The first Benton County Fair was held in 1904, in an era when land could be purchased for $5 an acre, an oak bedroom suite for $18, and ice cream for 19 cents a dish. Bentonville's economy relied heavily on apple exports (the crop value exceeded $1 million in 1901) and the area was covered in thousands of acres of fruit orchards. The fair was originally called the Benton County Free Fruit Fair and was held around the Benton County courthouse and downtown Square. A huge crowd gathered to see hundreds of exhibits, including canned fruits, jellies, preserves and wines, as well as farm and garden products, art, flowers, plants and needlework. Livestock was tied to the east side of buildings on the Square. Then as now, the county fair was an opportunity for young people to display and win awards for a year's worth of hard work, long hours, and dedication to their projects in 4-H clubs. There was a carnival and evening performances, which included high-wire acts, a high diving dog, a merry-go-round and Ferris wheel, and more. Entertainment included a man driving a car around the Square blindfolded without hitting anyone or anything, and another person playing music on the rims of partially-filled water glasses. The Fruit Fair grew as Benton County developed, until the Square could no longer hold it. In 1940, the Benton County Fair Association was established and purchased three acres for the new fairgrounds in order to make the fair bigger and better. Horse races were also popular and when the fair moved to the fairgrounds, a racetrack was built across from the fairgrounds. History of Fairs in the United States Elkanah Watson gets credit for organizing the first fair held in America in 1807 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It wasn't a large event and only involved sheep shearing. However, until then most fairs revolved around religious holidays, not agricultural events. From that point, fairs began to shift in nature as local communities organized showings for animals, judged them and awarded prizes. The New York State Fair debuted in 1841. The two-day event mainly featured animal competitions, and soon other states followed the lead, and more competitions were added. 2023 Benton County Fair 15

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