History of the

Caroline County Agricultural Fair

The history of the Caroline County Agricultural Fair is sketchy. Per accounts in the Caroline Progress, October 1919 was the year of the 2^nd fair whose setting was in Bowling Green. It is surmised that the first fair must have been in 1918. Mr. Wickham Coleman, a lifelong resident of the Penola area, recalls as a young child in the 1930’s attending fairs in Bowling Green.  Mr. Herb Collins has ribbons he won from entries he had entered in the 1940’s. There the history seems to fade away until 1959 when Mr. Coleman, who was now an agricultural education teacher at C. T. High Smith in Ladysmith and a member of the West Caroline Ruritan Club helped to revive them. The West Caroline Ruritan Club members wished to provide an activity for the community youth, many of whom were 4-H Club members as well as members of the Future Farmer and Future Homemaker organizations in the county schools.

The fair would be held at C.T. Smith School alternating with being held at E.P. School [the current home of the Reedy Church Ruritans]. In the early 1960’s the fair finally found a permanent home as the West Caroline Ruritans now had a four acre site on Jericho Road that had been donated by one of their members.

During those years the fair was a one day event with tents borrowed from Camp A. P. Hill and the animals housed in pens built by club members. There was even a show ring where the 4-H horse club held competitive events. Most memorable was the food as one of the Ruritan members would prepare for sale his famous “Pronto Pups” known today as corn dogs. What a treat eating a hot dog on a stick!

Unfortunately as the face of rural America changed so did interest in participating in a county fair. The last fair the West Caroline Ruritans sponsored was in 1969. Shortly after that the club also disbanded and the fair site on Jericho Road reverted to the original land owner. However, the impact this group had on the youth of Caroline would not be lost.

In 1997 the fair was reborn due to the hard work of the Madison Ruritan Club members. The fair was held at Caroline Middle School. In 2002 it was decided the fair should become incorporated and it became a non-profit, 501[c][3] community organization. Of interest is that many of the persons involved in its rebirth were children who had attended the fair in the 1960s. They were the youngsters who had entered home goods, shown hogs and cows, and had eaten those pronto pups in the 1960s!

During the last decade the fair has continued to grow and is now a four day event with multiple vendors, live entertainment and activities for all ages.

The Caroline County Agricultural Fair was located at the Virginia Bazaar until 2009 when it moved to its permanent home on the Tate family farm adjacent to the VA Sports Complex.

Written by F. W. Whittaker

April 2009

Heritage Committee Chair

804.448.3752

Wilson Jones, Vice President

Radio Communications Committee Chair

Mack A. Wright, Jr., Manager

Jacque Barham, Secretary

Community Organizations Chair

Nominating Committee Co-Chair

Marcia Hayes, Treasurer

Vendor Comm. Chair

Tickets/Front Gate Chair

804.448.3199

Mary Benner, Trustee

Special Events & Games/Contests Co-Chair

Advertising/Publicity Committee Co-Chair

804.448.4872

William J. Benner, Trustee

Grounds Committee Co-Chair

Ken Chapman, Trustee

Special Events & Games/Contests Committee Member

Antique Tractor Sub-Committee Chair

804.448.4852

Wick Coleman, Jr., Trustee

Stage/Entertainment Committee Chair

George Grampp, Trustee

Grounds Committee Co-Chair

Audit Committee Co-Chair

Audie Hayes, Trustee

Sponsor Committee Chair

804.448.3199

Susan H. Jackson, Trustee

Special Events & Games/Contests Co-Chair

Tom Melson, Trustee

Safety/Security Committee Chair

Jacque Rosenmarkle, Trustee

Advertising/Publicity Committee Co-Chair

Audit Committee Co-Chair

James “Buster” Tate, Jr., Trustee

Agriculture Comm. Chair

Cell: 804.283.3800

Margaret Watkins

Volunteer Committee Co-Chair

Pat Morris

Volunteer Committee Co-Chair

Heritage Committee Member

Macine W. Williams

Home Goods Committee Chair

804.448.4800

Preston McLain

Heritage Committee Member

Sponsor Committee Member

L to R Preston McLain,Audie Hayes,Marcia Hayes,Ken Chapman,Mary Benner,Wilson Jones,Fran Whittaker,George Grampp,Pat Morris,James Tate Jr.,Mack Wright,Ann Tate,Wick Coleman Jr.,Macine Williams,Jacque Rosenmarkle,Herbert Tate,Bill Benner,Tom Melson

Mailing Address

Caroline County Agricultural Fair

PO Box 1207

Ruther Glen,Va. 22546