See our slide show below . . .
The Fair in the Forties
The Vermont State Fair 2001
The Rutland County Agricultural Society, Inc. d/b/a as the Vermont
State Fair is the correct wording.
In the fall of 1846, the first Rutland fair took place in a field near
Castleton with Frederick Button being the first President of the Rutland
County Agricultural Society.
After moving around Rutland County for a few years, the Rutland fair
grew closer to Rutland City, sometimes setting up on land owned by John
Cain (now Grove Street north of Crescent) or on the old Baxter Estate.
In 1859 the first Rutland Fair was held at it's present location. The
present land was known as the Rutland County Park back then. There is a
provision in a deed that there must be a agricultural fair held on said
property once a year.
The first year the Fair was closed was in 1917 when the State of Vermont
closed the Fair with all other public gatherings due to an epidemic of
influenza.
The fairgrounds belongs to the RCAS, but if they do not have a Fair, it
would convert to the original heirs and assigns of the original
subscribers.
The Rutland rail yard came in 1849 and after a few years began putting
extra cars on to bring people from all over Vermont and western New
York.
The Fair started as a One day event, moved to a two day event and in
1893 the Fair was held for three days. By 1933 the Fair was a six day
event.
In 1926 the Rutland fair was rated the third largest in New England and
among the top 10 in the nation.
The discussion of pedestrian and automobile tunnels were first discussed
in 1915. The auto tunnel was built in 1991 and the pedestrian tunnel was
built in 1992.
On June 17, 1939 the great fire completely destroyed the grandstand. The
reconstruction of the grandstand took just 40 days.
In 1942, with the United States in conflict with World War two, the Fair
was only a one day event
Two cattle barns burned during the 1964 Fair.
The summer of 1970 brought the fire of the Arts and Crafts building.
(now the location of the Presidents Building)
In 1972 The Rutland Fair became officially the "Vermont State Fair"
The Fair has had top name entertainers such as Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens,
Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, Charlie Pride
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