By Marilyn Delk
DCCA News
Like the rest of our community, Darke County Center for the Arts is going to the Great Darke County Fair next week; DCCA will be in the Coliseum displaying information hopefully attracting fair-goers to the organization’s upcoming 2024-2025 presentations. The reasons for going to the fair are numerous: to be entertained, to be fed, to compete, to proudly show off livestock and produce, to support youngsters exhibiting their projects, to pitch horseshoes, to attend the religious services, to ride the merry-go-round, to win a stuffed animal, and on and on. But underlying all those factors is the real motivator for most of us—to see the people. You will meet old friends and neighbors, run into relatives you’ve not seen for years—or at least since last year’s fair, reunite with former classmates who have aged amazingly well (as well as some who have not), and if you are a vendor, will contact potential patrons who may buy products or seek out services offered.
And then, there’s the beloved history of it all, the memories of previous fairs and the people who provided those memories, all of which can go back many generations for most local families. The very first Darke County Fair (not yet labeled Great) was held while Franklin Pierce was president of the United States on Wednesday, September 7 and Thursday, September 8, 1853, at a site just east of the Garst Museum; the festivities continued at that location for five years, moving to a spot around the present-day Brethren Retirement Community in the Oakwood/Oak Street neighborhood in 1858. The fair’s third and final move occurred in 1870, when the sixteenth celebration was held at today’s location, although the area occupied at that time was considerably smaller than the territory the Great Darke County Fair covers today.
The fair moved its date to August and became a five-day event in 1898, when that 43rd annual Darke County Fair attracted 28,000 people. People would drive their horse-drawn buggies and wagons onto the fairgrounds, bringing bulging baskets of food, picnicking among the sheltering trees as well as touring the exhibits and visiting the attractions. And so it continued, with automobiles replacing the vehicles of earlier days throughout two World Wars, the Depression, and many other momentous and trivial events; today, campers fill the grounds throughout Fair week with exhibitors and others staying near their precious projects on display.
In 1949, the Great Darke County Fair did not occur, due to the polio epidemic. I sadly remember that year, as the fair was at that time the most important entertainment event in the life of this farm girl, even more exciting than ice shows or the circus. However, I do not recall the other two times that the fair was cancelled—those were in 1862 and 1863, due to the Civil War.
Darke County Center for the Arts has hosted a booth in the coliseum for many years, distributing brochures announcing the upcoming season of performances and handing out bookmarks promoting its Family Theatre Series season to all children who will accept the offering. Additionally, fairgoers can sign up to win tickets to DCCA shows; a drawing will be held and a lucky winner announced at week’s end. DCCA staff and volunteers are looking forward to seeing you at the Great Darke County Fair, to share their enthusiasm for the new season featuring an exciting line-up of performing artists that they hope you will find intriguing as well. Stop by for a chat, sign up to win tickets, and learn about all the entertainment you can look forward to after this year’s fair ends and before the 2025 version opens. See you at the fair!
