CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – Summer is known for fairs and festivals, and the Canfield Fair is the largest in the Valley.
Though it won’t be until the end of summer, you can get a feel for it now at the Canfield Historical Society, which has a permanent exhibit from the fair.
The Canfield Fair began in 1846 when it was still called the Mahoning County Fair and is the second largest fair in Ohio. The Canfield Historical Society has been collecting Canfield Fair memorabilia since 1990, and with the purchase of a new display case, they now have a place to store the memorabilia.
One of the oldest items in the historical society’s collection is a commemorative flag that has no date but has the name of the Mahoning County Fair inscribed on it. There are also old programs, family photos from the 1900s and old prizes.
Curator Laura See said the exhibit is still in its early stages.
“We don’t have a lot of stuff, so we’re asking the public to give some things to the historical society so we can preserve them forever,” See said.
Canfield Historical Society President Susie McCabe said the exhibit has been in the works for some time.
“The fair actually has some historical stuff, a lot of fair items, but we try to get it from the community. We have a lot of church and school stuff, but what would Canfield be without the Canfield Fair?” McCabe said.
This exhibit will be on permanent display at the Canfield Historical Society and can only be viewed by appointment. If you have any memorabilia from the fair that you would like to donate, please contact the society.
