Each September, the Sheboygan County Fair creates grand memories for those who attend, amazing for an event marking its 166th year. The five-day festival brings fun, farm animals and family, along with blue ribbons and great food to the citizens of the county.

An American classic, the fair became a mainstream event in the mid-1800s, though the first were held much earlier; 1641 in New Netherland, and 1807 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The nation’s first state fair was held in Syracuse, New York, in September 1841. There, an estimated 10,000-15,000 people heard speeches by notables and viewed animal exhibits, a plowing contest and samples of manufactured goods for the farm and home.

Today, 47 of the 50 United States, and Washington D.C., have fairs. Only Rhode Island, Michigan and Connecticut lack such an event.

County fairs developed about the same time as state fairs, spearheaded by agricultural groups looking to create community for farmers. The Waukesha County Fair is Wisconsin’s oldest. It, too, began as an agricultural fair in 1842 in the little town of Prairieville. Crowds of up to 4,000 people attended the 1853 fair where they enjoyed floral displays and a Ladies’ Equestrian Display.