Maryland State Fair
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"The Maryland State Fair is an annual event held in the state of
History
On Tuesday, September 17, 1878. Grafton Marsh Bosley hosted a series of contests and a ball to benefit yellow fever sufferers a his property north of Towson.[2][3][4] The following year, 1879, the fair was moved to its current location in Timonium and was held from September 9 through September 12. In 1906, the Lutherville Fair merged with the Pimlico Fair and became what is known now as the Maryland State Fair. The fair was suspended from 1943 through 1945 during World War II. In 1999, the fair increased its functionality to 11 days.[5]
The New York Times reported that on October 14, 1870, President Rutherford B. Hayes would go to
Their success in Lutherville, however, gave the operators resolve to establish an annual fair, and in December 1878, they incorporated as the Agricultural Society of Baltimore County. The corporation leased a 37-acre (150,000 m2) plot of land on the old Baltimore and York Turnpike on what was then known as "the Timonium Estate." The first fair was held at its new home September 9–12, 1879. The
Late in the century, the Agricultural Society of Baltimore County faced stiff competition from the nearby Pimlico Fair, also referred to as "the State Fair." Ultimately, the two groups held joint fairs in 1894 and 1897, and in 1906, merged to form one corporation— the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society of Baltimore County, Maryland. Their annual fair then became known as "The Maryland State Fair."
The early years at the Fair saw tents and wooden structures in use to exhibit home arts, farm and garden products, and livestock shows. Plowing and working oxen competitions were some of the popular but few attractions. Races were held at the track, and results were forwarded to interested horsemen at Baltimore and Alexandria, Virginia, by way of carrier pigeon. Food concessions consisted of sandwiches made by the farmers’ wives, and amusements involved sideshows, sack races, and greased pole climbing.
The Maryland State Fair grew and prospered, adding many attractions and exhibits, including an airmail delivery at the 1918 Fair. The annual event continued until 1943 when the fair was interrupted because of the war effort in World War II. The fairgrounds were leased to the U.S. Army for a storage depot and a vehicle repair center. After a three-year suspension, the fair reopened its gates in 1946.
In 1999, the fair added another day, making the fair now an 11-day event.
In 2020, the fair was restricted to private livestock and other virtual shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Timonium Race Track
Location | Maryland State Fair, at York Road & Timonium Road, Timonium, Maryland , United States |
---|---|
Owned by | Maryland State Fair & Agricultural Society, Inc. |
Date opened | September 9, 1879 |
Course type | Flat |
Notable races | "Alma North Stakes" "Taking Risks Stakes" |
In the 1950s, growth in population and development in increasingly suburban Baltimore County flourished, and certain business interests wanted to purchase the fairgrounds site for industrial development. The majority stockholder of the Corporation for the M.S.F. & A.S. of B.C., which was now the
Another crisis was averted in the 1970s. The organized Maryland racing industry took steps to have the fair's thoroughbred racing competition dates transferred to other Maryland tracks in order to re-trench a declining audience, purses, and media attention. Fair directors recognized that such a move would threaten the survival of the fair. The "Committee of Friends of the Maryland State Fair" was established to strengthen the cooperation between Maryland agriculture and horse breeding interests—a relationship that had been a tradition in the state since the mid-18th century. The committee was successful in convincing the public and the state legislature in the Maryland General Assembly of the value in keeping thoroughbred racing a part of the fair. The committee also prepared expansion plans for the fair, which resulted in a $5 million grant from the State of Maryland for building, modernization, and year-round use of the fairgrounds.
One of the most famous horses to race at Timonium was the Maryland-bred colt
Currently the racetrack hosts events during the fair, including the "Alma North Stakes" for
Miss Maryland Agriculture Program
The Miss Maryland Agriculture Program (MMAP) has been a feature of the Maryland State Fair since the 1930s. The name of the contest has changed several times throughout the decades. When it began, the winner received the title Miss Timonium Fair, but winners have also been given the title of Farm Queen, and now the winner receives the title of Miss Maryland Agriculture.
According to Phyllis McKenzie, the 2012 Miss Maryland Agriculture winner, the program is a, "knowledge contest run through the farm bureau program. [The judges] will be looking for a lot of knowledge in all the diversities of agriculture and the Maryland Farm Bureau throughout their policies and many programs that they offer for farmers and other agriculturalists."[7]
Light rail service
In the early 1990s, construction was completed on the
References
- ^ Burris, Taji (2023-08-31). "What to do this Labor Day weekend, from the Maryland State Fair to holiday celebrations". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
- ^ Maryland Journal, Local News, Sep. 21, 1878.
- ^ Baltimore County Union, Local Items, Sep. 21, 1878.
- ^ Baltimore County Union, (Advertisement) For the Benefit of the Yellow Fever Sufferers! Grand Championship Tournament and Coronation Ball, Sep. 14, 1874.
- ^ Maryland State Fair Archived 2006-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Washington: Visit of Officials to the Maryland Fair." New York Times. October 13, 1870. 5.
- ^ Group, Baltimore Sun Media. "Miss Maryland Agriculture Contest [Video]". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2018-09-27.