Local Activities | August 26, 2014
Along with all of the county fairs in Maryland it is also the time of year for the Maryland State Fair. We are now right in the middle of the 11 day run for the Maryland State Fair! The fair opened on August 22nd and will run through Labor Day, Monday, September 1st. The Maryland State Fair is held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. There are concerts, entertainment, agricultural exhibitions, thoroughbred horse racing, carnival rides and much more throughout the fair. The original mission of the fair continues to this day: “encourage the educational growth of youth (via FFA and 4-H Clubs) by providing an avenue where they can showcase their skills and educate the general public about agriculture, its related fields and its importance to the future.”
The Maryland State Fair can be traced back to 1831, when Amon Bosley constructed a one mile horse racing track in the Lutherville/Timonium area. Various fairs and gatherings were held for the next 45 years until a committee, called the Agricultural Society of Baltimore County, purchased a 37 acre plot of land in Timonium to specifically hold a fair. The first fair opened in 1879. There was a competing state fair called the Pimlico Fair. In 1906, the Agricultural Society of Baltimore County fair and the Pimlico Fair combined to form the Maryland State Fair. The fair continued annually until 1942, when it paused for the duration of World War II. During the war, the Maryland State Fairgrounds were leased to the US Army for a storage depot and vehicle repair center. The fair resumed in 1946. Today, the Maryland State Fairgrounds has increased to 100 acres and the fair went from running 10 days to 11 days.
The Maryland State Fair has multiple stages throughout the fairgrounds for entertainment. Most of the entertainment is free with admission and includes local and regional bands and cover bands, however a few of the Maryland State Fair concerts require an additional fee. This includes Grand Funk Railroad on August 28th and Phil Vassar with Lindsey Highlander on August 30th. Aside from the concerts, there will be chainsaw carving demonstrations, bull riding and barrel racing, an arm wrestling competition, a Latino Celebration, and of course agricultural demonstrations and exhibits. There are daily pig races and don’t miss a visit to goat mountain to see goats in their natural habitat! The Maryland State Fair has carnival rides and fair food to make any fair goer happy! Agricultural events are the basis of the Maryland State Fair and the mission statement is still followed today. The fair offers two types of livestock events: 4-H Club competition and an open class livestock competition, which is opened to any participant in the state. These competitions involve everything from home arts (baking, floral arrangements, quilting) to farm and garden to horses, cows and other livestock. You can find out the daily events via the daily calendar on the Maryland State Fair’s website.
ezStorage is very proud to have our business in Maryland! Stop by any of our Maryland storage unit facilities to find out how we can help you with all of your storage needs! Until then, have fun at the Maryland State Fair!
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