Unseasonably cold temperatures and some occasional rain were not enough to keep the crowds away from the 2011 Calvert County Fair. There was just too much to see and do. The allure of cotton candy, carnival rides, live animals and excellent food brought Southern Marylanders to the final fair of region’s season.
Calvert’s 125th annual fair had plenty of competitors and winners. Homemakers, farmers, 4-H members, local businesses, toddlers and people with talent all had a chance to show off during the five-day festival at the Barstow venue.
Among the bigger winners were: Rebecca Stanley, who was crowned Miss Tranquility; Jeffery Phelps, who was selected Lord Calvert; and Carl Freeman, 15 of Huntingtown, whose toothpick rendering of the Washington Monument received recognition as “Best in Show” among all the submitted works for the judges’ edification.
The first Calvert County Fair was held in 1886 on a farm in Smithville (today known as Dunkirk). According to fair historians, the first fair was primarily a display of cattle and tobacco. The event found a permanent home in 1940 at a site on Armory Road in Prince Frederick. Less than a half-century later, fair officials determined the event had outgrown that location.
Despite its modernization and added components, the mission of the private, nonprofit Calvert County Fair Board remains educating citizens of the importance of Calvert’s farming community and rich agricultural legacy.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
