Brown County Fair history and direction information
The Brown County Fair has been around since the 1880’s. What began as a small county fair displaying livestock, grains, vegetables and machinery is now a week-long event showcasing 4-H youth, our communities, food, fellowship and entertainment.
In the 1920’s, the fair became known as the Tri-State Fair and included the Dakotas and Minnesota. It ran a full week and was well know for its competition among purebred animal producers. Also, huge machinery displays were a must-see and horse and racing were featured on alternate days.
The fair was a major social and entertainment event before the days of radio and television.
The fair was opened up to all residents of the county and included a large variety of exhibit choices — livestock, crops, poultry, flowers, arts and crafts and several home arts divisions.
The County 4-H Clubs have become a critical part of the fair’s success and purpose, and the youth involved are able to take part in a variety of programs.
The fair is run by an all-volunteer Fair Board. The 2014 Fair Board members are as follows:
Sea Atwood, Cody Braun, Val Daschel, Cara Dennert, Janet Elsen, Darrin Erdman, Karen Erdmann, Chris Fischbach, Don Ganje, Marilyn Gibbs, Davin Johnson, William Kimball, Jo Miller, Gordon Nelson, Derek Ricci, Mike Russel, Jan Schile, Sid Schroeder, Sara Schumacher-Herman, Becky Stucker, Stu Swenson, Linda Thurston, Jayson Tollefson, Matt Zeller
From the North on Highway 281: Travel south to 131st Street / County Highway 15 (Fairgrounds Road), turn east and continue to the fairgrounds.
From the South on Highway 281: Continue north on US Highway 281 through to 131st Street / County Highway 15 (Fairgrounds Road). Turn east and continue until you reach the fairgrounds.
From the West on Highway 12: Travel east to US Highway 281 North. Travel north on US Highway 281 to 131st Street / County Highway 15 (Fairgrounds Road). Turn east and go until you reach the fairgrounds.
From the East on Highway 12: Travel west to Roosevelt Street, turn north and continue to 131st Street / County Highway 15 (Fairgrounds Road). Turn west on 131st Street and continue to the fairgrounds.
Tips
Once you get there:
• Parking is free!
• Remember to make note of where to you park. In our technological age, some people find it best to take a picture of where they parked and/or a landmark or two along the way.
• As with this year’s theme, the Brown County Fair is “kind of a big deal!” Explore and find out why! Enjoy yourself!
• Don’t miss out! Use this book to find out when and where your favorite fair events, vendors and/or concessions are! Find additional fairground maps on pages 19, 20, and 21. A fair event schedule can be found on pages 22-26.
Still not sure how to get there? Where do you go once you’ve arrived? See the map on the right. Or, better yet, download an app! From popular nationwide smart phone applications like Google Maps or Navigator to local hometown favorites like Access Aberdeen and the Brown County Fair app, you can’t go wrong. One of them will surely help you find your way!