Another Year For The Sherburne County Fair

 

This week is county fair week.  Give or take a few years, we need to note the 132 years of the annual meeting.  Each year, an opportunity presents itself for county farmers and future farmer to gather and share ideas for improved farming.  This gathering also gives them all an opportunity for bragging rights for their own farming prowess.

An early fair exhibit in
Meadowvale, circa 1900

So, we need to look back at the first meeting of county farmers at the fairs held in Meadowvale.  Starting in 1889, framers would meet for one day in November with the harvest complete and time to explore new ideas and techniques.

Then, starting in 1915, the fair moved into Elk River.  First at a location near the corner of today’s Jackson Street and Highway 10.  Later, the fair site moved to land bordering the Mississippi River.  Finally, in 1957, the fair located to the present site on Joplin Street on the western outskirts of Elk River.  The length of the fair also continues to expand.  From the one-day event of 1889 to the four days in 2021, with so much to see, the fair exhibits demand some time to take it all in.

Post 1916 fairgrounds near the Mississippi River

Although the fair location and duration changed from time to time, the basic goal of sharing information and providing an educational opportunity, remains the same.  The exhibits presented by local farmers and 4-H groups provide an abundance of skill to be appreciated. 

Be sure to enjoy the Sherburne County Fair.  Here is an opportunity to celebrate the farming heritage that is so much a part of the character of Sherburne County.