Sedgwick County Fair
Encyclopedia
The Sedgwick County Fair has been held in Cheney
, Sedgwick County
, Kansas
, United States
since 1940. Floyd Souders (see also Souders Historical Museum
), a citizen of Cheney began working on having a county fair in the community in 1939. Even though Cheney was one of the smaller towns in the county, it had been successful in hosting a Fall Festival, and Mr. Souders thought Cheney would be a good site for a county fair.
Mr. Souders owned and ran the town newspaper, and also served in the Kansas House of Representatives
. He used his leadership skills, and connections to build the fair into a special event. He involved the Chamber of Commerce which led to the organization of the Sedgwick County Fair Association in 1939.
The city of Cheney owned land in the town, and donated the land to the new Fair Association to get started. A bond issue was passed for $1200 to build the first building, and volunteers donated the labor. The building was dedicated October 5, 1939.
The first fair was held October 2, 1940. The following year the fair was held again, but due to World War II
the government cancelled all fairs until the war was over. In September, 1947 the third annual Sedgwick County Fair was held. In the early years, tents were rented to house food booths, and exhibits. Over time, the fair has grown and now occupies over 20 acres (80,937.2 m²). There are several permanent buildings for commercial exhibits, food booths, animal pens, and buildings for 4H exhibits. New seating for 3000 fans at the Rodeo arena was completed in 2003. A new 4H exhibit buiilding was dedicated in 2006, and new buildings to show rabbits and chickens will be completed in 2007.
The heart of the Sedgwick County Fair is still the 4H members exhibiting their projects. However over time, the fair has tried to reflect interests of a broader base of the county, and offers softball tournaments, washer tournaments, Demolition Derbys, and most recent a Talent Contest.
Cheney, Kansas
Cheney is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,094.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Cheney has a total area of , all of it land.-Area attractions:...
, Sedgwick County
Sedgwick County, Kansas
Sedgwick County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 498,365 for the 2010 census. The largest city and county seat is Wichita. The county was named after General John Sedgwick...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since 1940. Floyd Souders (see also Souders Historical Museum
Souders Historical Museum
The Souders Historical Museum is located 1/2 mile west of Cheney, Kansas, United States on MacArthur Road and depicts what life was like in Cheney and rural Kansas in the late 1880s and early 1900s....
), a citizen of Cheney began working on having a county fair in the community in 1939. Even though Cheney was one of the smaller towns in the county, it had been successful in hosting a Fall Festival, and Mr. Souders thought Cheney would be a good site for a county fair.
Mr. Souders owned and ran the town newspaper, and also served in the Kansas House of Representatives
Kansas House of Representatives
The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
. He used his leadership skills, and connections to build the fair into a special event. He involved the Chamber of Commerce which led to the organization of the Sedgwick County Fair Association in 1939.
The city of Cheney owned land in the town, and donated the land to the new Fair Association to get started. A bond issue was passed for $1200 to build the first building, and volunteers donated the labor. The building was dedicated October 5, 1939.
The first fair was held October 2, 1940. The following year the fair was held again, but due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the government cancelled all fairs until the war was over. In September, 1947 the third annual Sedgwick County Fair was held. In the early years, tents were rented to house food booths, and exhibits. Over time, the fair has grown and now occupies over 20 acres (80,937.2 m²). There are several permanent buildings for commercial exhibits, food booths, animal pens, and buildings for 4H exhibits. New seating for 3000 fans at the Rodeo arena was completed in 2003. A new 4H exhibit buiilding was dedicated in 2006, and new buildings to show rabbits and chickens will be completed in 2007.
The heart of the Sedgwick County Fair is still the 4H members exhibiting their projects. However over time, the fair has tried to reflect interests of a broader base of the county, and offers softball tournaments, washer tournaments, Demolition Derbys, and most recent a Talent Contest.