You may be surprised to learn that the first annual Monroe County Fair was held over one hundred fifty years ago. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that the fair didn't have a permanent location until one hundred years later. As a result, the fair has had a long and intersting nomadic history.
The first annual Monroe County Fair was held for two days, on October 10th and 11th in 1855, by the Monroe County Agricultural Society. The event was suspended during the Civil War, then resumed operations in 1868. From 1868 until the early 1880's, it was held on the land now known as Dunn Meadow on the Indiana University campus. In the early 1890's the fair was located in brick buildings at the site of the present Duke Energy, near West 2nd and Walker streets. For a number of years. around 1910, the fair was located at the corner of Vernal Pike and Curry Pike. People from town took the Monon train to the fair.
During the late 1920's and early 1930's the fair was held around the courthouse square, with the 4-H projects being housed in the public library. However, the space on the squre became unavailable, and the fair became an exhibit of 4-H projects only. During the middle 1930's these 4-H projects were exhibited in the old high school gym at the corner of West 2nd Street and College Avenue. During the late 1930’s and 1940’s, the 4-H projects were exhibited at the Ellettsville Fall Festival. The 4-H exhibits were moved back to the high school gym in the early 1940’s.
At long last, in 1946, The Bloomington Chamber of Commerce began the ten-year sponsorship of the Monroe County 4-H clubs by providing a site for the fair and funds for premiums. The fair was held in the Indiana University fieldhouse, located on East 7th Street, which was an experience best described as "interesting."
