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On
October 21,1915 the Board of Trade, later to become the Chamber of Commerce,
approved
a project to hold a Manatee County Fair, just prior to the South Florida
Fair and Gasparilla Carnival in Tampa. On February 17,1916 the organization
of a Manatee County Fair
Association was effected and the first Fair was held February 28, 1916.
Total Premiums paid
that year was $500.00. Less
than a month after the first Fair closed, 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. The Adams' pasture (part of the estate of the late Major A. J.
Adams) on Ninth
Street in Bradentown (later changed to Bradenton) comprised 69 acres and
could be purchased
for $14,000. Bradentown voters approved the plans in a special election in
May. By
October workers began clearing land, and Fair dates of February 13-16, 1917,
were announced.
Contractor E. W. Stoltz, of Palmetto, was the successful bidder and soon began
work on the main exhibit building — 40' x 120', with booths around the
wall. The women's
exhibits were to be arranged in the Clubhouse planned for both Fair and
golfing use.
A 12'foot porch enclosed the building and a grandstand was constructed for
viewers of ball
games and Fair entertainment. These
buildings were erected on the present McKechnie
Field site where today Pittsburgh Pirates exhibition games are played. In
the early 1930s, during the depression, sponsoring of the Fair in Bradenton
stopped, but it wasn't long before 35 Palmetto men signed application for a
charter. It was in 1937 that they
sought one for a "Manatee County Fair Association". But the late
Judge W. T. Harrison
would not approve the application since the Bradenton group had held a
charter by
that name. The
Palmetto Civic leaders then sought a charter as the "Manatee River Fair
Association, Inc."
It was granted and the "Manatee River Fair Association" was the
official sponsor of the
"Manatee County Fair". For several reasons, the Fair was held in a
corrugated metal building
near the Palmetto Trailer Park. World War II was declared in 1941; exhibits
were held in January 1942, but the Fair was discontinued during the war
years, then resumed again
in 1951. At
the war's end it was learned that the trailer park needed to expand. There
followed a property
exchange between the City of Palmetto and Manatee County, with the latter getting
the land on 17th Street where the present Agricultural Center
covers a large area. It
was through the efforts of the later J. P. Harllee, Sr., Commission
Chairman; and Ed Ayers, County Agent, that the first building was erected in
1951. It was named for Harllee, the
second exhibit hall for Ayers. In
the years that followed, additional buildings have been erected and provide
the setting for the
big and successful fairs that are held the last full week of January each
year. Crowds attending have grown steadily and average around 100,000 each
year. In 1990 an attendance record
of 116,565 was set. The
Fair is operated by a Board of Directors consisting of thirty-seven Directors
elected by members
of the Manatee River Fair Association. All citizens of Manatee County are
eligible to
be members of the Manatee River Fair Association. The
Arena / Assistant Fair Manager has been hired by the Board of Directors to
promote, develop
and oversee the management of the Arena and assist with producing the annual fair.
The 57,500-square foot event facility will be a permanent addition to
the fairgrounds. This facility will operate year-round, enabling the Fair to produce non-Fair related revenue, and offer the community an alternative location for Rodeos, company picnics, educational fairs and concerts.
Manatee River Fair Association
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