The Mahoning County Agricultural Society is poised to open its gates on the 162nd celebration of the Canfield Fair. The Canfield Fair represents the spirit of continuing growth through generations of families - in agriculture, education, commerce, and the arts.

The Mahoning County Agricultural and Horticultural Society, founded at Canfield, Ohio, back in 1846, established its Grand Annual Fair to bring together the people and their products to compare notes and relate experiences. The first fair was held on the village green, or commons as it was called then, and included a small livestock show, a plowing contest, and a horserace or two. Early fairs were attended primarily by gentlemen, who dressed for the occasion in suits and top hats or fedoras. Ladies, dressed in long skirts, high-necked blouses and bonnets, were relegated to gathering in the First Congregational Church building, where they displayed their homemade products and food preserves.

When the original fairgrounds were established, they were small in area, and the buildings consisted of a few sheds. From time to time through the years, additional land was purchased and better and more spacious buildings added. The Floral Hall was built in 1869, reportedly by the same man who built Canfield's Old Courthouse Building. Other early fair buildings included a Music Hall and a Mechanics Hall.

The fair has always provided a common meeting ground for those who live in towns and cities. Exhibits of new household and industrial products are an incentive to the farmer, and a whole a day spent at the fair offers insight into the agricultural world for city folks.

In the 162 years since the Canfield Fair was organized, great changes have taken place in Mahoning County. In 1846 it was almost entirely agricultural, while today it has become a thriving industrial and service-oriented community. As years went by, the fair reflected the timesѢoth in its displays and exhibits, and in society's expressions of dress and decorum.

The fairgrounds sit on 350 acres, well kept and lovingly maintained. People come in cars, motorhomes, pickup trucks, on motorcycles and on foot. Clothing is casual, comfortable, and probably would have been considered quite daring 162 years ago! Today's spacious grounds, ample free-parking area, high-quality displays, exhibits and attractions are a testimony to the Mahoning County Agricultural Society and to 162 years of progress and dedication to the Canfield Fair. What has remained unchanged over the decades is the spirit and heritage of that pioneering group at that first simple gathering in 1846. The legacy of the Canfield Fair is a willingness to share ideas, bring forth the best of the harvest each year, and to build the tradition of lifelong friendships.

Today, the Canfield Fair is a trip to an art museum, an international entertainment event, a showcase of handcrafts and baked goods, a modern machinery bonanza, insight into farm animal life, a symphony of sounds, a gourmet's delight and dieter's downfall! Today's fair is the ultimate carnival with Bates Brothers' rides, food, midway games and sideshows, while at the same time a heritage of agriculture, art and industry. It's a place to meet and greet old friends and to introduce a whole new generation to animals and farm products.

The fair has unique collections of antique, steam-powered equipment, as well as horse-drawn carriages, providing a glimpse of days gone by. Western Reserve Village on the south end of the fairgrounds is a reconstruction of pioneer life in Mahoning County, with the buildings brought here from their former locations and carefully preserved. Authentic herb gardens have been planted around the buildings, just the way they might have been when gardens were necessary to provide food and medicines. No charge is made for these educational and beautiful exhibits, as well as stage entertainment, fruit and vegetable displays, fine and domestic art, 4-H and Scout booths and exhibits, Educational Building displaysÑ¡ll of these are free with gate admission.