South Park in South Park Township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The End of the Big Fair Days
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 27, 2023
1. The End of the Big Fair Days Marker
The Allegheny County Fair offered something for everyone - headline entertainment, the best of the harvest, industrial exhibits, product and service displays, farm machinery, livestock, flowers, sports, parades and fashion shows. It was the top outdoor show in Pennsylvania, spanning over 200 acres and drawing up to two million people over five days. President Truman called it the "greatest fair in the world" when he visited in 1949. His speech drew a crowd of 300,000 in just one day!
The fair was traditionally held Labor Day weekend with a grand finale fireworks show occurring Labor Day evening. The fireworks signaled the end of summer for children as school usually started the next day.
Farming in Allegheny County declined by the late 1960s and eventually the fair could no longer be supported. The last big fair took place in 1973. Attempts to revive the fair were made in 1999 and 2000. Animals were brought in from Round Hill Park because of lack of interest from the farming community. Given the changes in the regional economy, the fair of 2000 focused on technology, not farming.
[Photo captions, top to bottom, read]
• The cover of the 1958 program highlighting the exciting entertainment which could be found at the fair.
• A boy views prize winning entries at the 1950 fair.
this page online
Erected by Allegheny County, Allegheny County Parks Foundation, PNC Charitable Trust, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals • Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1973.
Location. 40° 18.481′ N, 79° 59.992′ W. Marker is in South Park Township, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. It is in South Park. Marker is on Corrigan Drive, on the right when traveling north. Marker column is about 400 feet due north from the South Park Horse Stables (round barn). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2381 Corrigan Drive, South Park PA 15129, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Early Days of the Big Fair (here, next to this marker); Why is this tower here? (here, next to this marker); Light Battery "B" (a few steps from this marker); 18th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (a few steps from this marker); Lieutenant Friend W. Jenkins (a few steps from this marker); 14th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (a few steps from this marker); Armed Forces Nurses
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 27, 2023
2. The End of the Big Fair Days Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 8, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 120 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 8, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
