Baldwin County Fair Celebrates Its 61st Year

2011 - 61st Fair


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A visit to the Baldwin County Fair still feels like a step back in time, but the fair today is the result of more than a century of growth and change. The first fairs in the county were held in local communities even though often dubbed the County Fair. Summerdale was famous for its annual fair which raised money for the school. Bay Minette had a horse racing and fair association and built a large barn to house the events held there. Horse racing events were popular throughout and were accompanied by carnival and food booths. Every community had a baseball team, and often a baseball game was the highlight of the fair.   The official Baldwin County Fair, however, hails its origin in 1948, and is celebrating its 61st event this year. A legislative appointed committee, the Alabama State Fair Board oversees the operation of the fairs designated as the official county fair in each county. The Association of Alabama Fairs and the Department of Agriculture and Industries share in the sponsorship of the fairs. The Baldwin County Fair Association, under the direction of A.B. “Sonny” Hankins, is the local association managing the fair and the fairgrounds in Robertsdale. Fairs in the early days were primarily for the purpose of selling livestock and an annual auction was always a part of the fair. But lots of social interaction certainly took place! Competitions for produce, livestock breeding, and home produced goods such as canned jellies and cakes were always on display. Blue Ribbons gave bragging rights for a year, just as the winners today earn. Sideshows, game booths, and a major entertainment event were typical of every fair. Of course, watermelon and pie eating contests were real attention-getters! A major supporter of the fair was the Home Demonstration Clubs throughout the county. A walk through the exhibition tent was like a visit in many a farm kitchen and garden. Schools had major displays from the Home Economics and Agriculture Classes, and the 4H Clubs always provided interesting displays. Since the earliest days of the fair, the event has been held in Robertsdale as the most central location in the county. The fairgrounds on Palmer Street housed the fair until the new Baldwin County Coliseum and Fairgrounds were opened in February, 2008. The growth of the agriculture industry coincides with the postwar boom in America, and heyday of the fair was the 1950s, when the fair was the primary gathering place for families from all over the county to meet and share the news of their communities. Once again the centrally located facilities are rapidly becoming the  main place in the county where people from all walks of life come to celebrate our heritage.
1911 Summerdale Fair