History of the Fair
Sounds of the Fair
2006 -2007
Direct form the fairgrounds, hear the voices of 4-H officers describe what's happening at their County Fair. Recordings were made as part of a podcast that included 4-H Fairs from around Connecticut.
Centennial of 4-H
2002
100 historical 4-H pictures
celebrate the 4-H Centennial Year.
Portions of the display have
completed a ten library tour.
4-H Fair Quiz question
Commemorative ribbons: Diamond Anniversary ribbons and 4-H Centennial ribbons.
"Club work began wherever a public-spirited man or woman did something to give rural boys and girls respect for themselves and their way of life.
Wherever leaders gave the stamp of public recognition to youthful achievements on farm and in home, there club work began. This kind of incident goes a long way back...."
(from The 4-H Story by Franklin M. Reck, 1951.)
Bob Jamieson of ABC News reports, "It may come as a surprise, but there are 6,834,338 4-H members, three times the number there were 50 years ago..." In the televised segment aired Sunday, Jamieson describes the rural history of 4-H, "... when the climax of every summer was the competition at the county fair ",
and the ways in which today's 4-H brings activites and education to the cities. (March 24, 2002)
75th Anniversary Fair
2001
Newspaper articles reporting on our 75th 4-H Fair:
Reserve Champion flat ribbon, 1924.
First Fair of Its Kind
1924
Our first Fair was held on Samuel Russell's farm, Ridgewood Farm in Middletown, Connecticut, on Saturday, August 30, 1924. The Fair was managed by youth and was billed as the "First Fair of it's Kind in New England" for this distinction. In 1924, the Fair was named Middlesex County 4-H Club Fair & Live Stock Show. In addition to 4-H member exhibits of home arts, crafts, sheep, and beef cattle from New Haven, Middlesex and Hartford counties; there were youth demonstrations by the YMCA and exhibits by The Boy Scouts.
