The upcoming Robeson County Fair will mark the 55th continuous year that this fair has been held. From its humble beginnings as simply a two-day festival, this fair has grown to be one of the premier county agricultural fairs in the southeast. Out of the 47 county fairs that were held in North Carolina last year, the Robeson County Fair was selected as the "Best County Fair in North Carolina." This award was presented by the North Carolina Association of County Agricultural Fairs during their annual meeting in Greensboro. This is the sixth time the Robeson County Fair has received this award since it was established in 1977.

The Robeson County Fair has a long history and tradition but not near as long as some other fairs. A group of fair board members recently visited two other major fairs to get ideas about how to make our fair better and to scout out new carnivals and entertainment. The Ohio State Fair in Columbus, Ohio, was established in the early 1900s and is the largest agricultural fair in the nation, with over 44,000 livestock exhibits. The Maine State Fair at Skowhegan, Maine, was established in 1881 and claims to be the oldest continuously operating agricultural fair in the United States.

Many people think that fairs originated in America and that the tradition of fairs is based on agriculture in various areas of the United States. Evidence points to fairs being held long before the birth of Christ. Biblical scriptures in the book of Ezekiel record that "Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the kinds of riches with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs." Ezekiel's account of the destruction of Tyre was written about 588 BC and describes Tyre as an important market and fair center.

Fairs started off as commercial events where merchants from distant lands would come together to trade their native wares. From this, fairs evolved into religious activities, and the Latin word "feria," meaning holy day, is the root word for fair. Each feria was a day when large numbers of people would assemble for worship. Worship in those early days centered around temples in great cities such as Rome, Athens, and Mecca. These cities were also the great commercial centers of the world, so traders gathered in adjacent fields to sell their items. Religious figures were placed about in these fields to protect the traders and merchants.

During the early Christian era, the church took an active part in sponsoring fairs and feast days. As a result, fairs came to be a source or revenue for the churches. It is possible that our modern church bazaars derived from these religious fairs. This blend of religion and commerce moved throughout Europe, where entertainment and other forms of activity were added. This evolution created the fair as we know it today.

The first recorded fair in North America was held in Nova Scotia in 1765, and this fair continues to operate today. In 1792, a fair sponsored by the Niagara Agricultural Society was established in Ontario, Canada, and it also continues to operate today. In 1807, Elkanah Watson, a New England patriot and farmer, gathered a small exhibit of sheep under an elm tree in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He was trying to convince his neighbors that the fleece from his sheep, when manufactured into cloth, would successfully compete with the best wool imported from England. He wrote "many farmers, and even women, were excited by curiosity to attend the first novel and humble exhibition." In 1810, Mr. Watson expanded his exhibition to include a cattle show and was so successful that his records indicate that entries included 386 sheep, 109 oxen, 9 cows, 7 folds, 3 heifers, 2 calves, and 1 boar. Because of his efforts, Mr. Watson earned the title of "Father of United States agricultural fairs."

Additional fairs began to spring up across the United States, but each of them focused on the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. They began to include educational exhibits, promotion of local industry and resources, and entertainment. Competitive events became the cornerstone of these fairs, and as can be expected, youth and youth activities provided the social theme that was needed to make them popular.

Today, over 3,200 fairs are held annually in North America. Just like the Robeson County Fair, they each provide exhibits, demonstrations, and competition aimed at the advance of livestock, horticulture, and agriculture. Special emphasis is placed on educational activities such as 4-H, FFA, and similar youth development programs. While at the fairs, visitors are able to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste the richness and variety of what the world has to offer.

Now that you know the history of fairs, let me invite you to visit the "best agricultural fair in North Carolina" during the first week of October. I assure you it will be interesting, educational, entertaining, and, above all, a lot of fun.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 09/20/01