Throughout the nation’s history, agricultural fairs have served as showcase events for farmers and others who work the land and produce goods with their hands, but also allowing the accomplishments of local youth to take center stage.
A look back at our history reveals that it didn’t take long for the fair to grow in popularity. Our fair started as a two-day affair Oct. 21–22, 1851, on the lawn outside the county courthouse. Total receipts for that first fair came to $196.
By 1858, the fair had outgrown the courthouse lawn and members of the agricultural society voted to relocate the event to Copeland Woods, at the corner of Ballentine and Farming Streets. Four years later, with the fair continuing to grow, the society purchased 8 acres of land along Nenton Avenue and moved the annual event there.
When the calendar turned 1868, the Marion County Commissioners gave their approval for the purchase of 26 acres of land at a cost of $12,200 to build a new home for our fair. That location along what is now Fairground Street is still home to the fair. The agricultural society built a ticket booth, floral hall, dining hall and mechanics building for a total cost of $10,000.

Throughout its existence, the fair has featured a wide range of entertainment and special events such as automobile racing in 1910, the area’s first steer show in 1916, a visit from President and Mrs. Warren G. Harding in 1922, and appearances by renowned sharpshooter Annie Oakley and “The Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry in 1956.
Harness racing was a popular draw for many years, filling the grandstand with casual observers and those with a stake in the action on the track. An 1888 advertisement billed the fair as the home of the “best 1/2 mile track in Ohio.” The 4-H youth development program has been a vital part of the fair for over 100 years, founded in 1922 and kids have been showcasing their projects ever since. Fair royalty made its debut in 1936, as Donna Knichel was crowned the first queen of the Marion County Junior Fair.