Missouri State Fair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Missouri State Fairgrounds Historic District
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2011 Missouri State Fair - Ferris Wheel at Sunset
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by US 65, Co. Rd. Y, Clarendon Rd. and the Missouri--Kansas--Texas RR tracks, Sedalia, Missouri |
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| Area | 215 acres (87 ha) |
| Built by | Bast, Thomas W.; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Art Deco, Mission/spanish Revival, Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000853 |
| Added to NRHP | June 28, 1991 |
The Missouri State Fair is a big annual event for the state of Missouri. It has been held every year since 1901 in Sedalia, Missouri. The fair lasts for 11 days and is packed with fun activities.
You can enjoy daily concerts, see amazing animal exhibits, and check out competitions for homemade crafts. There are also many shows and lots of food and lemonade stands. The fairgrounds are located on the southwest side of Sedalia.
Contents
Fair History: How it Started
In 1897, a man named N. H. Gentry from Sedalia had a great idea. He convinced the Missouri Swine Breeders Association to ask the state government to create a state fair. Two years later, in 1899, a plan for the fair was officially suggested.
The state government looked at several cities that wanted to host the fair. These cities included Centralia, Chillicothe, Marshall, Mexico, Moberly, and Sedalia. Each city offered a certain amount of land for the fairgrounds.
After many votes, Sedalia was chosen! It offered 150 acres, which was the most land. The Van Riper family, who had also donated land for the state capitol building, gave the land for the fair in Sedalia.
The very first Missouri State Fair opened its gates from September 9 to 13, 1901. A special part of these early fairs was called the "white city." This was a 24-acre area filled with tents that exhibitors could rent.
In the 1930s, Odessa Ice Cream was the official ice cream of the fair.
Fair During Wartime
The State Fair continued during the First World War. However, it was canceled in 1943 and 1944 because of the Second World War.
A Senator's Speech
In 1940, U.S. Senator Harry S. Truman chose the Missouri State Fair for an important event. He officially started his campaign to be re-elected as a Senator there. In his speech on July 15, 1940, Truman strongly supported the New Deal. This was a series of programs designed to help Americans during tough times. He also spoke about equal rights for African Americans. He chose the State Fair even though Sedalia was known for having a strong presence of the Ku Klux Klan.
Tornado Strikes Fairgrounds
On August 21, 1952, an F2 tornado hit the fairgrounds. It caused a lot of damage. One person was killed, and 13 others were hurt.
The Ozark Music Festival
The fairgrounds hosted the Ozark Music Festival from July 19 to 21, 1974. This music festival was very large, similar in size to the famous 1969 Woodstock festival. Even though only about 50,000 tickets were sold, an estimated 350,000 people showed up!
The festival featured 27 bands, including famous groups like the Eagles, Aerosmith, Joe Walsh, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. After the festival, the fairgrounds were damaged. It cost about $100,000 to clean up. Luckily, the 1974 State Fair was still able to happen as planned.
Recent Fair Events
In 2020, the State Fair was mostly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only a youth livestock event was held that year. The full State Fair returned in 2021.
Fair Attendance
Many people visit the Missouri State Fair each year.
- In 2009, nearly 338,000 people attended.
- In 2018, almost 341,000 people came to the fair.
- About 350,000 people visited the fair in 2023.
Fairgrounds: Historic Buildings
The area where the fair is held is called the Missouri State Fairgrounds Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. This means it's an important historical site.
The district includes 47 historic buildings, 5 sites, 7 structures, and 7 objects. These were built between 1901 and 1941. You can see different styles of architecture here, like Art Deco, Mission Revival, and Romanesque Revival. Many buildings are made of red brick, including exposition halls and animal barns. There are also concrete drinking fountains built by the Works Progress Administration, a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression.
How the Fair is Managed
The fair is managed by the Missouri State Fair Commission. This group chooses a director to run the State Fair.
The Commission has nine members. Eight members are appointed, and one is the director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. This director serves automatically because of their job. Two members of the Commission must be active farmers. Two others must have been president of a county or regional fair board. One member must work in the agribusiness field. Of the eight appointed members, no more than four can be from the same political party. Also, no more than two can live in the same congressional district.
See also
- Mathewson Exhibition Center
- Missouri State Fair Speedway
