History:
Every Labor Day weekend, the Sheboygan County Fair creates memories for those who attend. The five day event marking its 169th year in 2020, brings farm animals and families, along with music, carnival rides and great food to the people of the county and surrounding areas.
The Sheboygan County Agricultural Society held the first annual fair in Sheboygan Falls on the hill behind the Free Hall, located on Madison Street. The agricultural displays were housed on land in the Cole Historic District; the barn used at the time is now part of two houses on the corner of Adams and Michigan Streets in Sheboygan Falls directly behind the old Thorpe Hotel (The old Richards Supper Club/ Sopetto Lanes). In 1852, the second fair was held at Plymouth and was notable from the fact that Henry Tidman, of Sheboygan Falls, exhibited two merino rams, the first fine wool sheep in the county. In 1853 Sheboygan hosted the event. Beginning in 1854, Sheboygan Falls was again home to the event. The 1857 fair was considered the first permanent location as the grounds were improved and buildings were constructed. This location was a plot on the west side of town, a part of the property of Benjamin E. Sanford, a prominent Sheboygan Falls manufacturer and horseracing aficionado.Sanford’s land was located on the south side of the road near the old Point Drive In. A native of England, Sanford came to Sheboygan Falls to join the Phoenix Iron Works. In the May 14, 1870 issue of the Evergreen Times, the following item appeared: "B.E. Sanford is clearing the ground preparatory to making a track for horse racing on the flat west of his house. When it is finished, we expect his splendid span of blacks will be ready to challenge the county and perhaps the state."Not to be outdone, Sheboygan held its first Annual Sheboygan Driving Park and Exposition in 1888 at Driving Park on the north west side of town. This marked the beginning of a competition between Falls and Sheboygan, which included duplicate fairs through 1890. From 1891 until 1895, the fair was back in Sheboygan. However, dissension between the Sheboygan Driving Park and the County Agricultural Society resulted in no fair being held in 1896.The Sheboygan County Fair Association held its first meeting on October 10, 1896 and in 1897 When the Sheboygan County Agricultural Assoc. was formed it took out a ten year lease on 23 acres of land just east of Plymouth. This became the true home of the fair. The grounds were improved and buildings constructed. Plymouth seemed to be the perfect and logical location. The centralized location on Fairview Drive led to the success of the fair, as merchants from all over the county traveled to set up displays and hawk their goods. Farm exhibitors showed keen interest by entering more animals and bigger vegetables each year, Early fair events included a beautiful baby contest, fortune telling gypsies, wheelbarrow races and greased pig contests. In 1899 admission was 25 cents and ads proclaimed that fairgoers would be entitled to see a circus, good races and fine exhibits. A half mile race track was completed in July, 1897 and to mark the occasion a harness race was scheduled for the last Saturday of the month– the beginning of racing of all kinds in Plymouth. There were also bicycle races and foot races that day. First prize for the horse race was $25, but the foot race winner received only an umbrella, generating complaints from the sprinters.
