STONEBORO – For 150 years, the Great Stoneboro Fair has put cotton candy in children’s hands, ribbons on livestock, harness racing and created memories for the families who walk its midway.

Nobody knows for certain, but those who work each year to make the fairgrounds come alive think it might just be the county’s oldest, and longest-running, event.

Located on 60 acres, the event has survived two world wars, the Great Depression and multiple recessions.

But that doesn’t mean the fair hasn’t changed with the times, said Shirley McIntire, president of the Mercer County Agricultural Society, the non-profit organization that runs the event.

And that just might be why this Stoneboro tradition is still going strong, she said.

Every year, the event gets tweaked based on lessons learned from the previous fair.

“It’s like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade,’’ she said. “After one fair ends, we begin preparing for next year.’’

Among the changes over the years include adding more than a dozen golf carts to ferry attendees around. And once the domain of country music for entertainment, rock bands and other music styles were added to create wider appeal.

But although the fair strives for more visitors each year, there are some limits. Famous entertainers who draw big crowds cost too much.

“Fairs are losing money by doing that,’’ McIntire said. “They’re drawing the big names, but they’re losing money.”

The financial strings have gotten tighter over the years. The state used to pump money into fairs throughout the state.

“All of the state money has dried up,’’ McIntire said. “Now you have to make it on your own.’’

When it comes to attendance, fairs have been affected by public schools opening ever earlier. A generation or so ago, the day after Labor Day was the most popular first school day for most districts. It’s now common for schools to open two weeks before Labor Day.

That’s a challenge for Stoneboro’s fair, which has always been held on the long Labor Day weekend.

“We’ve tried talking to school districts about opening up later, but they don’t want to hear it,’’ McIntire said.

One district is willing to take a different tack. On Thursday, Lakeview School District took its second-grade class to the fair. Being able to watch and to pet farm animals, along with enjoying a complimentary dish of ice cream, was a smash hit with the students.

“I liked when we got to see a dog do tricks,’’ said Katrina McCullough, a member of the class.

Other fairgoers liked watching the action, such as the harness races.

“I come for the horses,’’ said Dick Rufener, an Orangeville resident. “I can stay here for hours just watching the races.

With the fair having such a long life, for some families it’s a time to gather.

“We get to see each other and see old friends,’’ fairgoer Jean Boozer said.

Of course, there are other adventures at the fair.

In addition to carnival rides, judging farm products from horses to fruit remains popular. The growers of this year’s class can be particularly proud of the items they are putting before the judges, said Jim Denyker, who supervises the competition.

“It wasn’t an easy year for fruits and vegetables,” he said.

Denyker says that the best part of the Great Stoneboro Fair is that it remains – a fair.

“It’s a local fair that still maintains its local flavor,’’ Denyker said. “It’s small enough so that younger children won’t get too tired, but large enough that you can stay all day if you want and still have something to see or do.”

Keeping the fair going isn’t cheap. McIntire declined to give a specific number, but said it was more than $100,000.

A huge favorite of fans is the demolition derby. Cars hit each other, with the winner being the driver who has the last car that is still running.

“That’s when we get our biggest crowd,’’ McIntire said.

Like any sizable event, unexpected problems occur. Communicating with volunteers working throughout the complex can be a challenge.

“Sometimes when we have big crowds, our cell phones don’t work very well,’’ said Sharyl Vaughn, secretary for the organization.

To supplement the fair’s income, the fairgrounds are rented to others. Large buildings also can be leased for winter storage for items like boats.

But for those like McIntire who have roamed the fairgrounds for many, many years, preserving the tradition for another 150 years is not just a job. It’s a calling.

“I just love it here,’’ she said. 

By Michael Roknick

Reprinted with permission of The Herald