The Brightside: The history of the Delaware State Fair
HARRINGTON, Del. – Food, farming, games, and fun. Just a few words that come to mind when you think of the Delaware State Fair.
For over a century, the First State has found a way to keep those near and far coming back each year.
“It’s very much a team effort, we spend 11 months plus planning and then we turn it over to these volunteers and work groups to really put on and put the fair on. Always remembering your roots, why was the fair brought, our mission statement as far as supporting agricultural programming.”
Programming like 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and other youth development organizations. The goal of the fair since the beginning has been educating and promoting agricultural heritage and values, something the State of Delaware holds near and dear to its heart.
“It’s our goal and mission to put on the best 10 days that we can here and this year is farmlands to fair fans so we’re teaching people about farming, and agriculture and developing new fair fans along the way. Ultimately it’s just about tradition, it’s about the last taste of summer. Delaware state fair reflects who we are as Delawareans and who we are in the mid-Atlantic region.”
Danny Aguilar serves as the Assistant General Manager and Director of Marketing and is one of the many people tasked with putting together such a long-standing event.
“I think the fact that folks can have family entertainment and see the newest artists, come to the fair whether it’s concerts or they’re just craving for that cinnamon roll or for that shaved ice or the popcorn, deep fried twinkies.”
Danny has been going to the fair since the 80s and has watched it transform from a Delaware event to a State tradition.
“We always look back in order to move forward and to make sure we stay true once again to the Delaware state fair as a non-profit and an agricultural programming.”‘
Beyond tradition, we’re told it’s a way of life for many Delawareans.
“Some are non-profit like the grains and the farm bureau that have huge and very long standing roots in the Delaware communities… other folks it’s a professional living to go from fair to fair to fair selling fair and the retail goods.”
With an 80-member Board of Directors, hundreds of volunteers, 500 seasonal employees, and over 60 meetings, the behind the scenes grows with the fair each year, creating the atmosphere to bring in over 300,000 visitors each year. Danny says the years of preparation and countless hours put into the iconic ten days of fun is always worth it when he sees the smiles of fairgoers.
“I’m very much a people person, I want to make sure folks are having a good time and that kids are smiling when they come to the fair and also when they leave the fair and when they make plans to come see us multiple days.”
