Even though The Great Allentown Fair ended on Labor Day, fair enthusiasts recently were able to relive the fun and learn the evolution of this popular event, thanks to the Lehigh County Historical Society.

Kelly Ann Butterbaugh, local fair historian and Salisbury High School English teacher, presented a slide presentation and book signing at the historical society’s Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown.

According to Butterbaugh, who pointed out that Pennsylvania does not have a state fair, Allentown’s fair is one of the three largest fairs in the state. The other two are Bloomsburg and York, she said.

To the surprise of many fair fans, the Allentown Fair was not always located at the current fairgrounds in the western part of the city. When the fair first began in 1852, the Lehigh County Agricultural Society, which created the fair, located the event between Fourth and Fifth streets at Walnut Street, in the area where the Heritage Museum stands today.

Butterbaugh said a muslin screen surrounded the fairgrounds to prevent people from seeing the fair unless they paid to enter.

The following year the fair was moved to the Old Fairgrounds, between Fourth and Fifth streets near Liberty Street, where it remained for 35 years.

In 1862 during the Civil War, the fair did not run, because the space was used for militia, according to Butterbaugh.

By 1888 the fair was outgrowing its space, and the following year it moved again, this time to the fairgrounds we know today. Some of the buildings from the old location were brought along to the new grounds, where the Agricultural Society created a half-mile track for the fair’s biggest attraction, harness racing, and built a grandstand that held 2,500 people.

Early photos show fairgoers in fine attire – women in long dresses and men in suits, quite different from the clothes fair visitors wear today.

In 1897 the fair expanded by 14 more acres to accommodate additional agricultural displays and in 1911 a new grandstand was built to hold 10,000 spectators. Below the grandstand were restaurants, restrooms and a jail cell for unruly guests!

Because horses were a major attraction at the fair, both for racing and in exhibits, local residents were asked if they had any extra room in their barns to house the overflow, Butterbaugh reported.

Unusual attractions were a huge draw.

One popular exhibit in 1905 featured famous celebrity harness racehorse Dan Patch. And in 1909, the fair featured a hydrogen-filled airship race, according to fair records and photos.

During World War I, Camp Crane was established on the fairgrounds and the fair did not run in 1917 and 1918. Because the grounds were overcrowded during the occupation, Lehigh Valley families often took in soldiers for meals, Butterbaugh explained, which led to occasional marriages between local young women and the military men.

In addition to the horse races, auto racing on the fair’s track began in 1919 and ran until 1968. The harness racing continued into the mid-1970s.

From 1956 to 1958 the fairgrounds received a modern face-lift and macadam replaced the worn-down grass. Side shows were a hit, featuring dancing girls, small circus stunts, palm readers and other extraordinary attractions.

Stage shows in the track area became popular in the 1950s, which is often attributed to Guy Lombardo, who visited the fair in 1956, Butterbaugh said. Other famous celebrities who performed at the fair in that era included Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the Osmonds, Kenny Rogers, Steve Martin and Tom Jones, according to fair records.

Fair enthusiasts young and old hold many memories of the Allentown Fair. Many old-timers remember a fair favorite, the organ grinder monkey, who did not want visitors’ coins, only paper money!

The Allentown Fair, held yearly on the 46-acre fairgrounds in the city, will celebrate 175 years in 2027. It was created to educate folks about agriculture, which it still accomplishes through exhibits, programs and competitions. It also provides fun, entertainment and lots of food for its thousands of annual visitors.

Knowing its history makes the fair even more special. The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum once again fulfilled its mission of providing lifelong learning and educating the public about American and local history.