History of Manatee County Fair

Manatee County Fair history at a glance

Oct. 21, 1915: Board of Trade approve holding a Manatee County Fair.

Feb. 17, 1916: The Manatee County Fair Association created.

Feb. 28, 1916: First Manatee County Fair held.

May 1916: Voters approve plan for a municipal-owned park to be built on Ninth Street in Bradentown.

October 1916: Workers clear land on property where McKechnie Field is today.

Feb. 13-16, 1917: Second Manatee County Fair held.

Early 1930s: Manatee County Fair in Bradenton stopped by Great Depression.

1937: Manatee County Fair Association charter sought by 35 Palmetto men. Denied by Judge W.T. Harrison since the Bradenton group already held a charter. The leaders later received a charter for the Manatee River Fair Association, which became the official fair sponsor.

January 1942: Exhibits held in a metal building near the Palmetto Trailer Park. After 1941, the fair is discontinued during World War II.

1949: After Palmetto and Manatee County land swap, fair moves to its present location.

1951: Fair resumes after the war.

1951: First building named for J.P. Harllee Sr., commission chairman. Second exhibit hall named after Ed Ayers, county agent.

1990: Attendance record of 116,565 set.

2012: More than 172,000 people add up to highest fair attendance ever.

2016: Manatee County Fair celebrates fair centennial.

Source: manateecountyfair.com; Manatee County Fair manager Dan West

This story was originally published January 9, 2016 at 4:32 PM with the headline "History of Manatee County Fair ."