Manatee County 'Fair of the Century' begins Jan. 14

Manatee County 'Fair of the Century' begins Jan. 14

MANATEE -- Betty Glassburn remembers seeing the merry-go-round and the Ferris wheel at the Manatee County Fair for the first time.

As a child, she was terrified by the Ferris wheel and would not get on. But the fair was always among her favorite destinations.

"It was real small back then," recalls the 70-year-old Duette resident, whose family has lived on the same property for 133 years.

Glassburn, like many Manatee County residents, is looking forward to the 2016 Manatee County Fair, which begins Thursday and ends Jan. 24.

This year's fair, "Fair of the Century," is particularly significant since it marks 100 years since first Manatee County Fair was held in 1916.

"I love the fair and, the day I can't go to the fair anymore, I think I will lay down," Glassburn said.

The Manatee County Fair at the fairgrounds, 1303 17th St. W., Palmetto, is like a family reunion.

"You see people at the fair that you are never going to see again for a year," Glassburn said. "It's like a giant reunion for Manatee County."

That's Brenda Rogers' favorite part, too.

"I will see people that I have not seen in a year just standing in the common area," said Rogers, Manatee County Community Services Department director. "That's my favorite thing about being in the fair, reacquainting with people that have been part of my life."

Humble beginning

On Feb. 28, 1916, the first Manatee County Fair took place after the Board of Trade, which became the Chamber of Commerce, approved scheduling it just before the South Florida Fair and Gasparilla Carnival in Tampa.

Less than a month after the first fair, the Board of Trade started planning for "a municipal-owned park to be used for golf links, a baseball diamond, the County Fair and other field sports," according to the fair website.

A 69-acre pasture, part of the estate of Maj. A.J. Adams on Ninth Street in Bradentown (which eventually became Bradenton), would become the site. In May 1916, Bradentown voters approved the plan for the park.

E.W. Stoltz of Palmetto was awarded the contract and work began. The second fair was held Feb. 13-16, 1917.

While this year marks 100 years for the Manatee County, it is not the 100th fair. The fair was not held during the Great Depression and World War II.

"It's 100 years the organization has been in existence," said fair manager Dan West.

In 1949, the city of Palmetto and Manatee County did a land swap and moved the fair to where it is today.

The fair has grown and set an record attendance in 2012 when more than 172,000 people attended.

The Manatee County Fair has not always been an 11-day event.

"We used to be a six-day fair," West said. "We would start on Monday night and run through Saturday night and that was it. Now, we are 11 days. There is just so much more to be on display that we needed more days."

In the late 1990s, when the fairgrounds arena was built, the fair was lengthened, West said.

"It kind of changed things a little bit because they could hold more livestock," he said.

With a population of about 352,000, Manatee County ranks seventh in the state in total agricultural sales.

"The livestock is a major importance for this county," West said. "Agriculture in Manatee County is important and that's why the fair really got rolling because of our agricultural heritage here."

New fair attractions

With more than 50 rides and more than 500 livestock this year, there will also be the usual events, including the cheerleading competition, baby contest and fair queens pageant. There's also some new events, including a pie-eating contest, corndog-eating contest and hog-calling contest, West said.

On the last day of the fair, a time capsule, which will include items from this year's fair, will be sealed. The time capsule will be opened in 2066.

"That is definitely something that I'm very excited about," said Jon Neuhauser, Manatee River Fair Association president.

A Centennial Committee was organized to help plan this year's fair.

"A hundred years is a landmark," Neuhauser said. "It's a big deal. They got a lot of interesting things that we normally don't do at the fair as far as presentations and exhibits showing the history of the fair. It makes it special. It is hard to do something for 100 years. That's a good achievement and we are proud of that."

Commemorative T-shirts, "I was there at the 100 year fair," commemorative manatee plush toys and a centennial cookbook with recipes from citizens will be on sale at the fair. All items are $10.

"The cookbook is a walk down memory lane as well," Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant said.

Anyone 100 years old or older at this year's fair are asked to stop by the fair office for recognition and giveaways.

"People that come on the fairgrounds are going to see a lot of things for the commemoration of the 100-year fair," he said.

Fair reunion

Many Manatee County residents reunite with family and friends at the fairgrounds. This has been the case for Bryant.

"I can't tell you how many people that I run into at the fair," she said. "I'm hoping that this is going to be the epitome for a lot of people to recognize what a huge event it is for the fair and Manatee County."

Bryant said this year's event marking 100 years of Manatee County Fair will be the "culmination of reunions."

"It's going to be huge," she said. "I hope everybody comes out and there is reuniting and rekindling. ... It is going to be very special and people that take the opportunity to come and experience the Manatee County 'Fair of the Century,' I think it will be time well spent."

West said he may not see cousins who live in Duette and Myakka City at Christmas, but he will at the fair.

"It's the one time of year when everybody in the county comes together and you get to see everybody that you don't get to see the rest of the year," he said.

Even someone who hasn't experienced the Manatee County Fair, Glassburn said, should come for the excitement.

"You can't come to the fair and have a bad day because there is too much happiness there," she said. "I think everybody needs to come to the county fair because it is such an exciting place to be and so many friends that you can see."

Bryant said people have no idea what they are missing if they haven't been to the fair.

"There is something for everybody at the Manatee County Fair," she said.

Manatee memories

Growing up down the street from the fairgrounds, West missed one fair in 1991 when he was a student at the University of Georgia. Since the school was on the quarter system, he had to attend when the fair started.

"I have been all over these fairgrounds since I was a little kid," West said. "I've been to a lot of fairs."

West remembers when The Bellamy Brothers came to the fair the first time in the 1980s.

"I remember where I was standing," West said. "The building is not there anymore, but I remember where I was standing. ... There are so many memories."

Livestock is another fond memory for West, who was involved in 4-H. West showed beef steers in middle school and a couple years of high school.

Glassburn also enjoys watching her children and now grandchildren show animals. Many Glassburn's memories are "built around that livestock barn and the old livestock barn."

"I've always loved what the fair does," she said. "It teaches the kids responsibility by trying to get the animal there."

As a child, Rogers remembers riding the school bus with her sisters to Palmetto High School and walking to the fair.

Involved in 4-H, the fair was an opportunity for Rogers to show projects. She showed a dairy cow, a food project and participated in the 4-H fashion show, where she modeled something she made.

In high school, Rogers said she continued showing projects but also was a member of the Palmetto High band, so she played opening night in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The fair teaches skills applicable to other aspects of life, including record keeping, budgeting and responsibility, Rogers said.

"The fair has always been important in delivering an educational lesson and the importance of agricultural in Manatee County," she said.

Bryant said she has a lot of fond memories of going to the fair with her friends and trying different rides and food.

"Every year, that was the big event to go to the county fair," she said. "We try to continue to provide the same family atmosphere. ... It is just fond memories here."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter@Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published January 9, 2016 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Manatee County 'Fair of the Century' begins Jan. 14 ."